<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Fact Checking at Harvard?
Review: Alas, Andy Knoll's fascinating subject matter does not receive justice in this book. Knoll is correct to say that "science is a richly social endeavor," but at some point one has to properly interpret the data, not just attempt to win brownie points from one's colleagues. Knoll is quick to criticize, as for instance his dismissal of the Warrawoona fossils, but then he uses criteria similar to those for biogenic authenticity (used at Warrawoona) in his acceptance of ancient microfossils from South Africa and elsewhere. Martin Brasier calls Knoll to task for this, noting that structures that Knoll finds "convincing" need "much more critical scrutiny" (2004, The Palaeontological Association Newsletter Number 55, p. 78-79). Uneven application of biogenicity criteria smacks of a double standard.
Even more troubling are lapses in Knoll's scholarship. After spelling my name wrong on page 170, Knoll goes on the attack again, misattributing the idea of Ediacaran symbiosis to me (it was actually Al Fischer at USC). In challenging the photosymbiosis idea, he misses the whole point of my book Garden of Ediacara (the point being that Ediacarans must have used unconventional feeding strategies). Sigh. Science is indeed a social endeavor. But if you have a social agenda when you write, and don't carefully consult and consider the primary sources, your science and your scholarship will suffer.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book, but not an introductory book
Review: Andrew Knoll's Life on a Young Planet is a fascinating attempt to describe the current state of our knowledge of how life evolved during the Earth's first three billion years. Most of the book deals with the period more than 543 million years ago. This period of Earth's history is not well understood, yet it saw the development of multicellular life and the start of the animal kingdom. Knoll's book is a balance account of the latest thinking on the division of life into domains, the rise of eukaryotic cells, the development of multicellular life, and the rise of plants and animals. The book is balanced and avoids taking the route of sensationalism. A reader who is interested in biology and evolution can learn a lot from it. The book, however, does have two problems. First, it assumes that the reader is familiar with biology and genetics at the introductory University level. Readers with no previous knowledge will probably find themselves getting lost in the dense text. The second problem is that the book's ending is somewhat unsatisfactory. The author stops his discussion of the evolution of life at the Cambrian Explosion and ends the book with a chapter about what lessons that the early history of Earthly life teach about the prospects of life elsewhere in the Universe. This jump is jarring and leaves the reader feeling that the book is lacking a conclusion. All in all I highly recommend this book to anyone who already knows the difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic life. If, however, you need to do a Google search to understand that last sentence then this book may be a bit too advanced for you.
Rating:
Summary: Modern Science Opens New (and Exciting) Doors to Paleontolog
Review: I was motivated to buy this book after reading "Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould. That book is about the fossils in a 500 million year old shale and Gould does a beautiful and detailed job of explaining the intricacies of that research (Gould is a bit more folksy than the high tech Knoll). The present book by the Harvard Professor Andrew Knoll is similar but much broader in scope and starts back further in time to cover a period before dinosaurs, and before the trilobites described by Gould, back even farther to life in the Cambrian sea and before. The author tries to give us this broad picture of the 4 billion year development of life starting from simple bacteria - and relating that to other forms of life - and to the evolution of the environment on the planet. What comes across loud and clear in the book is that a lot of progress is being made in evolution theory and paleontology using breakthroughs in the biological sciences along with modern research instrumentation. In other words a lot of exciting things are happening. This is not a quick read. It requires a clear mind and a determination to follow the author through a sophisticated but worthwhile scientific (and human) story. This is not a novel but it can be read and enjoyed. This is a very well written book impressive in the detail, scope, and knowledge of the author. It is quite an impressive but short book for the general public on paleontology. This is a relatively short book of about 250 pages with 25 pages of notes and further readings, index, etc. The book contains a nice range of photos and charts, but it is mainly text. Short but intense. It was painstakingly assembled to demonstrate a number of themes. One theme is the formation and development of ancient life; he explains that history. Another is to explain modern paleontology and how it actually function, i.e.: how can we go back in time. Another theme is - the interplay between the biodiversity and the environment. The latter describes the changes as the earth evolved through different climates and periods. When Darwin wrote "Origin of the Species" he had only a partial view of the situation and it is generally agreed that he equivocates in his book about certain details. Since that time approximately 150 years has past and science has made many giant leaps forward. We have a much better understanding of the chemistry of plants, genetics, gene splicing, nuclear dating, and so on plus we have a broad array of new instruments and techniques to look at materials down to the sub-micron level and smaller. Darwin's tree of life is in fact now composed of three branches being, i.e.: Bacteria, Eucarya (plants, animals, etc) and more recently Archaea being added. Furthermore this "tree" can be shown to be partially connected from genes. It is now clear that Prokaryotic (bacteria) metabolic processes form and sustain the fundamental ecology of life through the carbon, nitrogen, sulfur cycles on earth. Without the bacteria there would be no life as we know it - no us. And we of course know about our branch of the tree, but much less is known about this third branch Archaea. The author goes into great detail to explain the study of ancient bacteria, the "Oxygen revolution", origins of Eukaryotic cells, animal fossils, and how they were discovered, where and what it all means. He discusses what is known and what are just guesses. He also discusses the search for life in meteorites. All in all it is short, intensive, but still very comprehensive and intensive. Congratulations and thanks to the author for an excellent read. Five stars. Jack in Toronto
Rating: 
Summary: The Early History of Life
Review: In this up-to-date volume, Andrew H. Knoll, one of the world's leading paleontologists, discusses the early history of Life on Earth. This is a book aimed at the educated layman but, because of the good bibliography, it is also of interest to the more advanced reader.
The author presents the history of life in a nonlinear fashion, starting with Cambrian rocks in Siberia, then moving backward in time to late-Proterozoic rocks of northern Spitsbergen, then back again to the very earliest (possible) fossils in the Warrawoona Group in Australia, and then forward, ending the book with a discussion of the Cambrian "explosion".
The book is generally very informative, and fair to scientists with opinions different from the author's. The chapter on the Origins of the Eukaryotic Cells is a model of fairness and balance, as the author presents the history of the symbiotic ideas presented by Merezhkovsky (and later by Linn Margoulis). Once considered heretical, the theory that the organelles of eukaryotic cells have a symbiotic origin is now common wisdom. (Of course, the initial proposals were based mostly on intuition and, as the author explains, definitive confirmation had to wait for molecular methods).
One of high points of the book is the reconstruction, in chapter 10, of Namacalathus (a calcified fossil from the late-Proterozoic of Namibia), using computer-tomography methods. The images of these alien living organisms are incredibly life-like and suggestive.
This is a good book, probably the best on the subject, and it is recommended. I will spend the rest of this review discussing the low points.
Some trivial (but annoying) mistakes have been left in the book. For instance, an Ion Microprobe does NOT use "a fine laser beam" (as the author states in chapter 4), but a focused ion beam (duh). Also the author misspells the name of maverick geologist Mark A. S. McMenamin in chapter 10 (and in the index).
Probably the worst part of the book is the discussion of the Vendian biota. The author observes that vendobionts do not have a mouth, but still insists that they are related to the Cnidarians (who definitely do have mouths).
Especially annoying is the author's analogy of vendobionts to dinosaurs: he seems to believe that, like dinosaurs, they occupied the same ecological "space" as their successors. Then a mass extinction freed the niches that were occupied by the Cambrian animals. How "animals" without mouths could occupy the same ecological niches as predators, like Anomalocaris, is a total mystery.
Rating:
Summary: A fine balance
Review: Knoll provides what may be the finest description of the sciences of early life available. Bringing together such fields as geology, biochemistry, genetics and, of course, his own science of paleontology, he presents a vivid image of how life formed long ago. The subtitle is deceptively simple. "First three billion years" rolls off the tongue easily. Knoll demonstrates the quest to understand how life originated has been elusive and arduous. The search, he reminds us constantly, is far from over. We may not even gain meaningful grasp of the subject if we restrict the inquiry to this planet. Knoll asserts the benchmark for comprehending how life may have started was the Urey-Miller experiments of the 1950s. By assuming a particular composition of Earth's early atmosphere and bombarding that recipe with electricity to duplicate lightning, Urey and Miller produced amino acids. Knoll credits these experiments not with showing how life began, but by their stimulation of much further research. Since then, geologists have revealed increasingly older rocks. Instead of buried deep beneath the surface as might be expected, they are often found well exposed. Knoll's expeditions to chilly Siberian sites are offset by the roaring desert of outback Australia. Both locations have provided researchers with new information on composition, chemical and environmental processes, and, most significantly, Precambrian fossils. The many research fields now involved in developing a picture of life's beginnings indicate how complex a task unveiling "simple" can be. Early life, of course, was microscopic. Sometimes it isn't fossils that are found, but spoor remains - tracks once left in mud, images of forms, and, most intriguing for many, chemical signatures. The chemical, is usually carbon, that fundamental element of life. But other elements, iron, sulfur and oxygen also carry messages about living processes. Knoll manages a delicate arabesque as he presents us with the evidence obtained and the interpretations derived from it. He carefully delineates the fossil information given by the rocks, mixing it with geological and geochemical processes. Various researchers are given voice through his narrative. Where issues are contentious, and most ideas of early life fit that description, he explains the reasons behind the stance, then offers his own choice. While the conflict is rarely solved, none of his solutions are arbitrary or based on personality. You are still left to satisfy your own mind through his references. Knoll's prose presents this information and discussion with clarity and balance. At the end, with these lucid explanations as background, he considers that answers to many of our questions may be found on our nearest planetary neighbour - Mars. Beyond the informative text provided, Knoll enhances the book with site photographs to convey the scale of the locations excavated. Ancient landscapes are today stark, and the photos do little to convey the nippy Kotuikan cliffs or the roasting Precambrian site of North Pole, Western Australia. A collection of plates offers stunning colour images of ancient fossils and some modern equivalents. He further diagrams phylogenetic trees showing the relationship of organisms and why they are considered related. Not all life, he reminds us, has followed the path to complexity. With a good, but not exhaustive, reading list to examine, the reader may continue the pursuit. The younger reader may even wish to further the knowledge we have. Knoll exhorts the next generation of early life researchers to examine the questions and go afield to provide more answers. There are few worthier causes. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: A fine balance
Review: Knoll provides what may be the finest description of the sciences of early life available. Bringing together such fields as geology, biochemistry, genetics and, of course, his own science of paleontology, he presents a vivid image of how life formed long ago. The subtitle is deceptively simple. "First three billion years" rolls off the tongue easily. Knoll demonstrates the quest to understand how life originated has been elusive and arduous. The search, he reminds us constantly, is far from over. We may not even gain meaningful grasp of the subject if we restrict the inquiry to this planet. Knoll asserts the benchmark for comprehending how life may have started was the Urey-Miller experiments of the 1950s. By assuming a particular composition of Earth's early atmosphere and bombarding that recipe with electricity to duplicate lightning, Urey and Miller produced amino acids. Knoll credits these experiments not with showing how life began, but by their stimulation of much further research. Since then, geologists have revealed increasingly older rocks. Instead of buried deep beneath the surface as might be expected, they are often found well exposed. Knoll's expeditions to chilly Siberian sites are offset by the roaring desert of outback Australia. Both locations have provided researchers with new information on composition, chemical and environmental processes, and, most significantly, Precambrian fossils. The many research fields now involved in developing a picture of life's beginnings indicate how complex a task unveiling "simple" can be. Early life, of course, was microscopic. Sometimes it isn't fossils that are found, but spoor remains - tracks once left in mud, images of forms, and, most intriguing for many, chemical signatures. The chemical, is usually carbon, that fundamental element of life. But other elements, iron, sulfur and oxygen also carry messages about living processes. Knoll manages a delicate arabesque as he presents us with the evidence obtained and the interpretations derived from it. He carefully delineates the fossil information given by the rocks, mixing it with geological and geochemical processes. Various researchers are given voice through his narrative. Where issues are contentious, and most ideas of early life fit that description, he explains the reasons behind the stance, then offers his own choice. While the conflict is rarely solved, none of his solutions are arbitrary or based on personality. You are still left to satisfy your own mind through his references. Knoll's prose presents this information and discussion with clarity and balance. At the end, with these lucid explanations as background, he considers that answers to many of our questions may be found on our nearest planetary neighbour - Mars. Beyond the informative text provided, Knoll enhances the book with site photographs to convey the scale of the locations excavated. Ancient landscapes are today stark, and the photos do little to convey the nippy Kotuikan cliffs or the roasting Precambrian site of North Pole, Western Australia. A collection of plates offers stunning colour images of ancient fossils and some modern equivalents. He further diagrams phylogenetic trees showing the relationship of organisms and why they are considered related. Not all life, he reminds us, has followed the path to complexity. With a good, but not exhaustive, reading list to examine, the reader may continue the pursuit. The younger reader may even wish to further the knowledge we have. Knoll exhorts the next generation of early life researchers to examine the questions and go afield to provide more answers. There are few worthier causes. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: Get a grip
Review: This book covers the period from the earlies evidence of life to the Cambrian 'explosion'. Along the way you will be amazed at the number of contentious issues that have been raised on every concievable aspect of these developments. While the author is very good at explaining the various arguments (many of which are quite technical), there are so many of them that the reader starts to lose track of where they are. The situation would also be less confusing if the the author were willing to indicate and defend his own position rather then leaving it to the reader to make a choice. This is a good book for those familar with the subject but would totally confuse those new to it.
Rating:
Summary: A rolling voyage through time.
Review: This book is a rolling voyage over the waves of eras and eons, fossils and nucleotides, chemistry and physics. The story sways with a rhythm that is both soothing and stimulating. On the voyage we are taught how life may have begun, how it evolved, how it changed it's environment -- indeed how it changed the entire planet. We see how slowly life moved at first, and how it suddenly accellerated to its current frenzy. The author, our ready guide throughout this voyage, culminates the trip with perhaps the most profound and moving epilog I have ever read in a book of this kind. Well done. Accessible. Fun. Instructive. Powerful.
Rating:
Summary: A rolling voyage through time.
Review: This book is a rolling voyage over the waves of eras and eons, fossils and nucleotides, chemistry and physics. The story sways with a rhythm that is both soothing and stimulating. On the voyage we are taught how life may have begun, how it evolved, how it changed it's environment -- indeed how it changed the entire planet. We see how slowly life moved at first, and how it suddenly accellerated to its current frenzy. The author, our ready guide throughout this voyage, culminates the trip with perhaps the most profound and moving epilog I have ever read in a book of this kind. Well done. Accessible. Fun. Instructive. Powerful.
Rating:
Summary: Wide ranging.
Review: Who knew? To be a paleontologist these days you need to know more than a little about biology, molecular biology, physics, chemistry, geology, plate tectonics, climatology, fossils of course - and be something of an adventurer. Knoll is also a fine writer - clear, interesting, capable of good descriptive prose. Truthfully, I am not all that interested in fossils, and I didn't get much from the color pictures, although others may. The quality of the writing got me through many of these sections. My reward was the many state of the art discussions, such as: the role of combined organisms in evolution: the genesis of the explosion of life forms which has occurred several times in earth's history; the origin of earth's current atmosphere (yes, that is important to reading the fossil clues). Knoll is great at identifying issues, explaining why some theories are no longer tenable, giving the arguments for the rest, and explaining his hunches. We all know that current levels of oxygen are due to photosynthesis, but it is not so simple, because if that were all there were to it, the earth would have had a high oxygen atmosphere hundreds of millions of years before it did. If you are interested in global warming, get this book, and just read the relevant chapters. Knoll cannot give background in all the subject areas, so he does not try for any. I would have been happier if I knew more about some of the bacteria he discusses, and an introductory chapter on what constitutes a fossil would have saved me some time (the material is there). However, if you know something about RNA/DNA, and have read at least one good article on plate tectonics, I think you will be OK.
<< 1 >>
|
