First Steps in the Origin of Life in the Universe

by Chela-Flores, Julian; Owen, Tobias C.; Raulin, Francois

• ISBN13: 9781402000775
• ISBN10: 1402000774
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-12-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

The general topic of this volume concerns the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the Universe. Firstly, it discusses the transition from inert matter to cellular life and its evolution to fully developed intelligent beings, and also the possibility of life occurring elsewhere, particularly in other environments in our own and other solar systems. Secondly, the book explores the role that space missions may play in obtaining further insight into the question of the origin of life. Reviews are included of the research for microorganisms in the solar system and the well-established project for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The present work is much broader in its scope than in previous conferences: over one hundred leading scientists have reviewed the entire range of subjects dealt with in these sixty-nine papers. Audience: This book is aimed at advanced students, as well as researchers, in the many areas of basic, earth, and life sciences that contribute to the study of the first steps in the origin of life.

Table of Contents

Dedication to Giordano Bruno	v
Preface	vii
Group Photograph	x
Special Evening Lecture
Peptide Nucleic Acids As a Possible Primordial Genetic Polymer	1	(10)
Kevin E. Nelson
Antonio Lazcano
Stanley L. Miller
The Abbus Salam Lecture
Physics and Life	11	(10)
Paul Davies
The Cyril Ponnamperuma Lecture
Solution to Darwin's Dilemma: Discovery of the Missing Precambrian Record of Life	21	(4)
J. William Schopf
Opening Lecture
Europa: Prospects for an Ocean and Life	25	(10)
Cynthia B. Phillips
Christopher F. Chyba
Section 1: Historical aspects	35	(12)
Sidney Walter Fox; The Father of Thermal Proteins and Protocells Therefrom	37	(2)
Aristotel Pappelis
Peter Bhan
Randall Grubbs
Theories on Origins of Life Between 1860 and 1900 The Spontaneous Generation Controversy Years Post Darwin and Pasteur's Works	39	(4)
F. Raulin-Cerceau
Reminiscences-Pont-A-Mousson-1970 to Trieste-2000	43	(4)
Mohindra S. Chadha
Section 2: The origin of life in the universe	47	(64)
Materials for ``First Steps'' in Evolution	49	(6)
A. G. Cairns-Smith
Contributions
Origin and Persistence of Genetic Material in Prebiotic Habitats. The Possible Role of Nucleic Acid-Clay Complexes	55	(4)
Enzo Gallori
Marco Franchi
Chemical Evolution Studies in Organic Compounds Adsorbed in Clays	59	(6)
Sergio Ramos Bernal
Alicia Negron-Mendoza
From Inanimate Macromolecules to the Animate Protocell: In Search of Thermal Protein Phase-Shifting	65	(4)
Aristotel Pappelis
Peter Bahn
Randall Grubbs
John Bozzola
Peter Cohen
HPLC Evidence of Nonrandomness in Thermal Proteins	69	(4)
Peter Bahn
Aristotel Pappelis
IR Spectra of Protein, Thermal Protein, and Thermal Glycoprotein	73	(4)
Peter Bahn
Aristotel Pappelis
Prebiotic Selection Induced by Periodic Starlight	77	(4)
Giorgio Careri
A Model System for Studying the Role of Phosphoryl Group in Energy Transfer System	81	(6)
Bo Qu
Wenqing Wang
Jilan Wu
Demonstration of the Parity Violating Energy Difference in Phase Transition of D- and L-Alanine and Valine	87	(4)
Wenqing Wang
Yan Gong
Wanqing Chen
Two Puctuation Systems in the Genetic Code	91	(4)
Romeu C Guimaraes
Studies on Metal Ferrocy Anides as Prebiotic Catalyst	95	(4)
Kamaluddin
Stability of Ribonucleic Acid in Protective Environments of Alkanes ≥ n-C18 - Results From Experiments in Laboratory	99	(4)
Vicente Marcano
Pedro Benitez
Luis Fajardo
Ernesto Palacios-Pru
Is Boric Acid the Missing Link in Prebiotic Chemistry	103	(4)
Benoit Prieur
A Phosphoramide-Bonded Polynucleobasephosphates As Riboseless Precursors of RNA?	107	(4)
Gilbert Turian
Section 3: Possible sources of life's origins	111	(60)
Cometary Molecules and Life's Origin	113	(8)
Joan Oro
When And How Quickly Did Life Emerge on Earth?	121	(10)
J. Mayo Greenberg
Contributions
Cosmochmistry in the Early Universe	131	(4)
Denis Puy
Paul Scherrer
Absorption Against the Cosmic 2.7 K Background	135	(4)
Suresh Chandra
W. H. Kegel
A. K. Sharma
Can Bio-Molecules Be Formed in Collapsing Interstellar Clouds?	139	(6)
Sandip K. Chakrabarti
Sonali Chakrabarti
Interstellar Molecules: An Exotic Chemistry	145	(6)
Alicia Negron-Mendoza
Sergio Ramos-Bernal
Protoplanetary Disks, Solar System Minor Bodies and Origin of Life	151	(6)
Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez
Electric Discharge in Carbonaceous Meteorities?	157	(4)
Gunther Kletetschka
Terrene Meteorites on the Moon: A Source of Information about the Origin of Life in the Earth?	161	(6)
Jordi L. Gutierrez
Two Possible Steps of the Chemical Evolution on Surface of Small Bodies in the Solar System	167	(4)
M.B. Simakov
E.A. Kuzicheva
Section 4: Life without starlight	171	(44)
Tetra-And Nonapeptidyl Motifs in the Origin and Evolution of Photosynthetic Bioenergy Conversion	173	(6)
Herrick Baltscheffsky
Anders Schultz
Bengt Persson
Margareta Baltscheffsky
Geochemical Habitats in Hydrothermal Systems	179	(8)
Evertt Shock
Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents: An Examples of Extreme Environment on Earth	187	(8)
D. M. Prieur
Contributions
Catalytic Capability of Oligopeptides in the Interface Chemistry in Hydrothermal Environments	195	(6)
Koichiro Matsuno
Volcanic Lightning and the Availabilty of Reactive Nitrogen and Phosphorus for Chemical Evolution	201	(10)
Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez
Antigona Segura
Planetary Habitable Zones: The Spatial Distribution of Life on Planetary Bodies	211	(4)
Abel Mendez
Section 5: Evolution of life in the universe	215	(52)
Geological and Geochronological Constraints for the Age of the Oldest Putative Biomarkers in the Early Archaean Rocks of West Greenland	217	(6)
Stephen Moorbath
The Cenancestor and Its Contemporary Biological Relics: The Case of Nucleic Acid Polymerases	223	(8)
Luis Delaye
Hector Vazquez
Antonio Lazcano
Likelihood of Transport of Life Between the Planets of Our Solar System	231	(6)
Gerda Horneck
Contributions
The Nucleotide and Nucleotide-Like Coenzymes in Primitive Met Abolism, Photobiology and Evolution	237	(4)
M. S. Kritsky
M. P. Kolesnikov
T.A. Lyudnikova
T.A. Telegina
V.A. Ostroshchenko
A.G. Malygin
From Extremophiles to Astrobilogy	241	(6)
Joseph Seckbach
Aharon Oren
Adaptative Response of a Fungus Species to Hydrocarbon Environments - Results From Experiments in Laboratory	247	(4)
Vicente Marcano
Pedro Benitez
Ernesto Palacios-Pru
Origins of Life in the Universe and Earliest Prokaryotic Microorganisms on Earth	251	(4)
V. C. Tewari
Persistence of Living Planktonic Foraminifera (Neoglobuquadrina pachyderma) in Antarctic Sea-Ice Inferred From a Study of a Sediment Core (Ross Sea Continental Margin)	255	(6)
Rosalba Bonaccorsi
Romana Melis
Testing Evolutionary Convergence: From Rna World to Intelligence	261	(6)
K. Tahir Shah
Section 6: Is there indigenous organic material on Mars?	267	(36)
The Search for a Second Genesis of Life in Our Solar System	269	(10)
Christopher P. McKay
Ancient Life On Mars and Earth	279	(2)
J. William Schopf
Search for Life on Mars: The Mars Express Beagle-2 Lander	281	(2)
Andre Brack
Contributions
Search for Enantiomeric Excess in Extraterrestrial Samples. Interest for Mars Sample Return	283	(6)
O. Vandenabeele-Trambouze
M. Dobrijevic
D. Despois
A. Commeyras
M. Geffard
M. Albert
M.F. Grenier Loustalot
Changes on the Surface of Mars Resulting From Inner Factors and Impactors	289	(4)
Ernesto Palacios-Pru
Vicente Marcano
Spatial and Temporary Patterns of Some Climate Parameters Around the Timberline of Pico de Orizaba	293	(10)
Luis Cruz-Kuri
Christopher P. McKay
Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez
Section 7: The search for prebiotic and biological indicators in the satellites of the outer solar system	303	(22)
The Satellites of Saturn	305	(2)
Tobias Owen
Titan: Exobiology and the Cassini-Huygens Mission	307	(8)
F. Raulin
P. Coll
R. Navarro-Gonzalez
S. Ramirez
Y. Benilan
F. Shindo
V. Vuitton
M-C. Gazeau
Contributions
Experimental and Theoretical Photochemical Studies of Polyynes: Application to Titan's Atmosphere	315	(4)
V. Vuitton
M.-C. Gazeau
Y. Benilan
F. Raulin
Experimental Simulation of Titan's Atmosphere by Cold Plasmas	319	(6)
S. I. Ramirez
R. Novarro-Gonzalez
P. Coll
F. Raulin
Section 8: New approaches to the detection of extraterrestrial life and intelligent radio signals	325	(32)
Ways to Detect Life on New Planets	327	(8)
Marc Ollivier
Searching for Water in Exoplanets	335	(4)
Cristiano Batalli Cosmovici
The Saha Crater Radioastronomic and Seti Observatory: Set-Up of the Data Link	339	(6)
Giancarlo Genta
Contributions
Natural Intelligence and Cellular Complexity	345	(4)
M. Rizzotti
Extraterrestrial Life and Communication Perspectives	349	(4)
Valeria Ascheri
On the Last Terms of Drake Equation: The Problem of Energy Sources	353	(4)
Paolo Musso
Section 9: Deeper implications of the detection of extraterrestrial life	357	(24)
Origins and Creation	359	(6)
George V. Coyne S.J.
Life in the Universe: Philosophical and Theological Issues	365	(10)
Robert John Russell
Implications of Possible Biological Evolution Outside Habitable Zones in Solar Systems	375	(6)
Julian Chela-Flores
Section 10: Recent improvements in the infrastructure for the study of the first steps in the origin of life in the universe	381	(28)
Cosmopark-A Natural Astronomical Observatory	383	(4)
Joan Oro
Xavier Palau
Spanish Photographic Metor Network: An Interdisciplinary Crosslink	387	(6)
Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez
Juan Fabregat
Jordi Llorca
Alberto Castro-Tirado
Pre-dinner Speaker
New Paradigms for Seti	393	(6)
Frank Drake
Closing Lecture
The Plurality of Worlds	399	(10)
Francesco Bertola
Author index	409	(4)
Subject Index	413	(8)
List of participants	421