From Fossils to Astrobiology, 2008 Records of Life on Earth and the Search for Extraterrestrial Biosignatures Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology Series, Vol. 12

From Fossils to Astrobiology reviews developments in paleontology and geobiology that relate to the rapidly-developing field of Astrobiology, the study of life in the Universe. Many traditional areas of scientific study, including astronomy, chemistry and planetary science, contribute to Astrobiology, but the study of the record of life on planet Earth is critical in guiding investigations in the rest of the cosmos.  In this varied book, expert scientists from 15 countries present peer-reviewed, stimulating reviews of paleontological and astrobiological studies.  The overviews of established and emerging techniques for studying modern and ancient microorganisms on Earth and beyond, will be valuable guides to evaluating biosignatures which could be found in the extraterrestrial surface or subsurface within the Solar System and beyond.  This volume also provides discussion on the controversial reports of "nanobacteria" in the Martian meteorite ALH84001.  It is a unique volume among Astrobiology monographs in focusing on fossil evidence from the geological record and will be valuable to students and researchers alike.

Geology.- Nanosims Opens a New Window for Deciphering Organic Matter in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Samples.- Disentangling the Microbial Fossil Record in the Barberton Greenstone Belt: A Cautionary Tale.- Looking Through Windows onto the Earliest History of Life on Earth and Mars.- Models for Silicate Fossils of Organic Materials in the Astrobiological Context.- Microfossil Phosphatization and Its Astrobiological Implications.- Proterozoic Unicellular and Multicellular Fossils from India and Their Implications.- Microbial Communities of Stromatolites.- Biosedimentological Processes That Produce Hot Spring Sinter Biofabrics: Examples from the Uzon Caldera, Kamchatka Russia.- Cyanobacterial Mat Features Preserved in the Siliciclastic Sedimentary Record.- Deciphering Fossil Evidence for the Origin of Life and the Origin of Animals.- Biology.- Microorganisms in the Ancient Terrestrial Subsurface – And in Outer Space?.- Evidence of Ancient Microbial Life in an Impact Structure and Its Implications for Astrobiology.- Phylogenomic Dating and the Relative Ancestry of Prokaryotic Metabolisms.- Fossil Microorganisms at Methane Seeps: An Astrobiological Perspective.- Endoliths in Terrestrial Arid Environments: Implications for Astrobiology.- Magnetotactic Bacteria and Their Potential for Terraformation.- Paleontological Tests: Human-Like Intelligence Is Not a Convergent Feature of Evolution.- Cosmic Life Forms.- Space Sciences.- Astronomical and Astrobiological Imprints on the Fossil Records: A Review.- Do Impacts Really Cause Most Mass Extinctions?.- Irradiation of Icy Cometary Analogs: Its Relevance in Reference to Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life.- The Big Bang at Time Zero.- Molecular Imprints of Reaction Network.- The ALH84001 Case for Life on Mars.-Preservation Windows for Paleobiological Traces in the Mars Geological Record.- Summary, Final Comments and Conclusions.

Provides a valuable overview of established and emerging techniques for evaluating modern and ancient microorganisms on Earth and beyond Contains diverse, critical reviews of paleontological and taphonomic studies of life in the Universe