Cradle of Life: The Discovery of Earth's Earliest Fossils

(Paperback)

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One of the greatest mysteries in reconstructing the history of life on Earth has been the apparent absence of fossils dating back more than 500 million years. We have long known that fossils of sophisticated marine life-forms existed at the dawn of the Cambrian Period, but until recently scientists had found no traces of Precambrian fossils. The quest to find such traces began in earnest in the mid-1960s and culminated in one dramatic moment in 1993 when William Schopf identified fossilized micro-organisms three and a half billion years old. This find opened up a vast period of time - some 85 per cent of Earth's history - to new research and new ideas about life's beginnings. In this book, William Schopf, a pioneer of modern paleobiology, tells the story of the origins and earliest evolution of life and how that story has been unearthed.

Reviews

Winner of the 2000 Phi Beta Kappa Book Award in Science "A book that bears out [Schopf's] assertion that science is enormously good fun!"--Scientific American "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."--Laurence Hurst, New Scientist "In the well-written Cradle of Life, Schopf tells his own story of how Earth's early microbial biosphere was discovered."--Stefan Bengtson, Nature "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."--Publishers Weekly "An exceptional description of the field that is accessible to any educated lay reader."--Library Journal (starred review) "Schopf combines his often entertaining personal story with an introduction to the discipline of paleobiology, with asides on the chemical makeup of life... A good introduction to the history of a science on the cutting edge."--Kirkus Reviews "A good introduction to a quickly evolving topic... Schopf also offers a number of insider nuggets."--Choice "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."--John R. Alden, Cleveland Plain Dealer "Cradle of Life provides the best current popular overview of the first 85% of life's history on Earth, and that is history worth reading."--Robert M. Hazen, Physics Today "An extraordinary account of a monumentally complex subject presented in simple and understandable terms, and in an eminently readable style."--Steve Voynick, Rock and Gem

Author Bio

J.William Schopf is Professor of Paleobiology and Director of the Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life at UCLA. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, President of the International Society for the Sutdy of the Origins of Life, editor of eight volumes, and discoverer of the oldest records of life on Earth