Early Earth Early Earth WorkshopWorkshop
Professor Michael WilliamsProfessor Michael Williams
Professor Lynn MargulisDepartment of Geosciences
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTIONon the pre-on the pre-
Phanerozoic Phanerozoic
EarthEarth
REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION inin
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTIONpre-pre-
Phanerozoic?Phanerozoic?
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING HAPPENED!HAPPENED!
GAIA, the living Earth from space GAIA, the living Earth from space
JAMES JAMES LOVELOCKLOVELOCK
The hypothesisThe hypothesisand its extensionsand its extensions
Wm BucklandWm BucklandChas DARWINChas DARWINV.I.VernadskyV.I.Vernadsky
mention “some illustriouspredecessors”
Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson
Darwinian time Darwinian time && Vernadskyian space Vernadskyian space
Charles Darwin
1809-1888
Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky 1883-1945
Darwinian time & Vernadskyian spaceDarwinian time & Vernadskyian space
reactive gases (oxygen, methane, CO2)
acidity (pH)
biomineralization, cloud condensation nuclei biomineralization, cloud condensation nuclei and oceanic rain, gaian mountains,and oceanic rain, gaian mountains,plate tectonics, WATER RETENTIONplate tectonics, WATER RETENTION
EONSEONS
3900-25003900-2500
2500-5412500-541
541-0541-0
ArcheanArchean
ProterozoicProterozoicPhanerozoicPhanerozoic
EONSEONS
PLANET WATERPLANET WATER
What evolves?What evolves?
Populations of individuals?Populations of individuals?
1st1stnucleated nucleated
cellscells
1st1stnucleated nucleated
cellscells
ARCHEANARCHEAN PROTEROZOICPROTEROZOIC PHANEROZOICPHANEROZOICEONSEONS
oo
HADEANHADEAN
NOWNOW
firstfirstappearance appearance
in the in the
fossil recordfossil record
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTIONcomponents of the processcomponents of the process
1.1. Population growth (“biotic potential”)Population growth (“biotic potential”)
2. Inherited changes2. Inherited changes
3. Natural selection3. Natural selection
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTIONcomponents of the processcomponents of the process
1.1. Population growth (“biotic potential”)Population growth (“biotic potential”)
2. Inherited changes2. Inherited changes
A process of innovationA process of innovation
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION
2. Inherited changes2. Inherited changes
3. Natural selection3. Natural selection
A process of eliminationA process of elimination
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION
2. Inherited changes2. Inherited changes
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION
2. Inherited changes2. Inherited changes
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION
inheritance of inheritance of
“acquired “acquired characteristics” characteristics” ??
INHERITED CHANGESINHERITED CHANGES
Random DNA mutationsRandom DNA mutationsChromosomal changesChromosomal changes
(karyotypic fission,(karyotypic fission,polyploidy)polyploidy)
Larval transfer (D.I. Williamson)Larval transfer (D.I. Williamson)
SYMBIOGENESISSYMBIOGENESIS
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION
no, no, SYMBIOGENESISYMBIOGENESISS
EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION
inheritance of inheritance of
“acquired “acquired
genomesgenomes””
Evolution ofEvolution of
chimaeraschimaeras
Symbiogenesis/Symbionticism
SymbiogenesisSymbiogenesisKozo-Polyanski
Wallin
1883-19691883-196911883-1969 1869-1910
1890-1957
Famintzyn
1845-1905
Mereschkhovski SymbionticismSymbionticism
long term long term physical association physical association
between members between members ofofdifferent speciesdifferent species
new behaviors, organelles, new behaviors, organelles, tissues, organisms, species tissues, organisms, species
as consequence of symbiosesas consequence of symbioses
SYMBIOGENESISSYMBIOGENESIS
SYMBIOSISSYMBIOSIS
SYMBIOSISSYMBIOSISoror
SYMBIOGENESISSYMBIOGENESIS??
Elysia chloroticaElysia chlorotica
Vaucheria litoreaVaucheria litorea
Translucent, hungry marine animalsTranslucent, hungry marine animals
acquire foreignacquire foreign (algal)(algal)
genomesgenomes
they evolve to become they evolve to become new speciesnew species
photosyntheticphotosyntheticFLATWORMSFLATWORMS andand SLUGS!!SLUGS!!
ElysiaElysia TridacnaTridacna
Placobranchus Placobranchus ocellatusocellatus
Convoluta roscoffensisConvoluta roscoffensis
INDIVIDUALITYINDIVIDUALITYisis
COMPLEXCOMPLEX
(Mixotricha paradoxa)(Mixotricha paradoxa)
650650
600600
550550
Varangerian Ice Age
(acritarchs)(acritarchs)
Precambrian/Cambrian boundary
Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor
L.E.C.A.
““For Nature is a For Nature is a Stranger yet....”Stranger yet....”