"'I am born, ' writes Dicken's David Copperfield, in simple statement of fact. Our knowledge of how the first cells and organisms were begotten is far less resolute. With focused vision, "Cradle of Life" probes one view of primordial Earth and the succor of its first cells and organisms, even as scientists explore and assemble evidence to advocate other possibilities. Schopf engages the reader with the magic of storytelling as he writes about such matters as the fables and foibles of scientists, the demands of discovery and documentation in attaining an understanding of how life evolved, the tempo of evolution, and, of course, the continuing saga of the Mars rocks."--Cindy Lee Van Dover, author of "Deep-Ocean Journeys" "An entertaining and informative book. It provides an interesting perspective on how science is done. . . . Schopf's personal perspective provides a sense of the personalities involved and engages the reader. . . ."--Dawn Y. Sumner, University of California, Davis

'I am born,' writes Dicken's David Copperfield, in simple statement of fact. Our knowledge of how the first cells and organisms were begotten is far less resolute. With focused vision, probes one view of primordial Earth and the succor of its first cells and organisms, even as scientists explore and assemble evidence to advocate other possibilities. Schopf engages the reader with the magic of storytelling as he writes about such matters as the fables and foibles of scientists, the demands of discovery and documentation in attaining an understanding of how life evolved, the tempo of evolution, and, of course, the continuing saga of the Mars rocks.

A good introduction to a quickly evolving topic. . . . Schopf also offers a number of insider nuggets.

A book that bears out [Schopf's] assertion that science is enormously good fun!

What were your very earliest ancestors like? I do not mean your great-great-great-grandparents. I mean the earliest life on the planet. In principle we all have a unique lineage of ancestors that runs all the way back to the origin of life. What was life like then--and is the supposed life on Mars our cousin? These are the problems palaeontologist Bill Schopf faces. . . . It has been a while since I read a book with so much good sense, put over in so amicable a style. If I ever were to discover my great-great-great grandparents I hope they turn out to be as wise as Schopf.

An exceptional description of the field that is accessible to any educated lay reader.

provides the best current popular overview of the first 85% of life's history on Earth, and that is history worth reading.

Schopf's subject, the origin of life, is fascinating, and as significant as any question that has ever been asked in academia. His explanation of the science behind his conclusions is clear, his approach is well organized. . . . This is a marvelous, magnificent, scientific adventure.

In the well-written , Schopf tells his own story of how Earth's early microbial biosphere was discovered.

A very clear introduction to the first living things. . . . Schopf . . . adopts an unusually informal first-person style for this rangy exploration of how Pre-cambrian fossils came to light and what they've taught us.

An extraordinary account of a monumentally complex subject presented in simple and understandable terms, and in an eminently readable style.

J. William Schopf, a member of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, the Molecular Biology Institute, and the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) at the University of California, Los Angeles, is Professor of Paleobiology and Director of the IGPP Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life. A Member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he is the recipient of medals from the National Science Board, the National Academy of Sciences, and the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life. He has also been awarded national book prizes for two edited volumes on life's earliest evolution, an Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Prize, and two Guggenheim Fellowships.

Prologue xi

Acknowledgments xv

Chapter 1. Darwin's Dilemma 3

Breakthrough to the Ancient Past 3

The Nature of Geologic Time 4

The "Schoolbook" History of Life 10

Darwin's Dilemma 13

Denouement 34

Chapter 2. Birth of a New Field of Science 35

The Floodgates Crack Open 35

Famous Figures Enter the Field 48

A Youngster Joins the Fray 52

The Floodgates Open Full Bore 61

Chapter 3. The Oldest Fossils and What They Mean 71

"Trust but Verify" 71

"Real World Problems" in the Search for Early Life 71

Questions and Answers about the Oldest Records of Life 75

The Oldest Fossils Known 99

Chapter 4. How Did Life Begin? 101

The Basics of Biology 101

The Universals of Life 107

How Did Monomers of CHON Arise on the Lifeless Earth? 108

Organic Monomers beyond the Earth 131

How Did Monomers Become Linked into Polymers? 134

From Monomers to Polymers toward Life 138

Chapter 5. Metabolic Memories of the Earliest Cells 139

How Did Cells Begin? 139

The Essentials of Life 143

Life's Earliest Way to Make a Living 150

Air and Light: A New Source of Glucose 155

Why Do We Breathe Oxygen? 158

The Four-Stage Development of Modern Metabolism 161

Chapter 6. So Far, So Fast, So Early? 164

How Old Is the Modern Ecosystem? 164

When Did Life Begin? 166

How Did Evolution Proceed So Far, So Fast, So Early? 168

Paleobiology: Fossils, Geology, and Geochemistry 169

Isotopic Evidence of Ancient Metabolisms 173

Paleobiology: Direct Evidence of Early Evolution 181

Chapter 7. Stromatolites: Earth's First High-Rise Condos 183

Nature Is Not Compartmentalized 183

Stromatolites: Earth's First High-Rise Condos 184

Stromatolites of the Geologic Past 195

What Are Stromatolites Good For? 201

Chapter 8. Cyanobacteria: Earth's Oldest "Living Fossils" 209

Modes and Tempos in the Evolution of Life 209

The Status Quo Evolution of Cyanobacteria 215

Evolution's Most Successful Ecologic Generalists 231

Chapter 9. Cells Like Ours Arise at Last 236

Life Like Us Has Cells Like Ours 236

DNA and Development: Keys to Eukaryotic Success 237

How Old Are the Eukaryotes? 240

Eukaryotes Perfect the Art of Cloning 243

Sex: A New Lifestyle Brings Major Change 246

The Wax and Wane of Precambrian Acritarchs 252

Prelude to the Phanerozoic 259

Chapter 10. Solution to Darwin's Dilemma 264

The Adventure of Science 264

Take-Home Lessons 269

Solution to Darwin's Dilemma 269

EPILOGUE

EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS!

EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE? 279

Chapter 11. Fossils, Foibles, and Frauds 281

The Goal Is to "Get It Right" 281

"Man, a Witness of the Deluge" 282

Beringer's Lying Stones 291

Theories on the Nature of Fossils 299

Unearthing a Rosetta Stone 303

Chapter 12. The Hunt for Life on Mars 304

Hints of Ancient Martian Life? 304

NASA Stages a Press Conference 306

Meteorites from Mars 310

Search for the Smoking Gun 313

Lessons from the Hunt 324

Glossary 327

Further Reading 349

Index of Geologic Units and Genera and Species 357

Subject Index 361