The Proterozoic Biosphere: A Multidisciplinary Study

by Edited by J. William Schopf , Cornelis Klein

• ISBN13: 9780521367936
• ISBN10: 052136793X
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-04-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The Proterozoic Biosphere is the first major study of the paleobiology of the Proterozoic Earth. It is a multidisciplinary work dealing with the evolution of the Earth, the environment, and life during the forty percent of Earth's history that extends from the middle of the Precambrian Eon (2500 Ma) to the beginning of the Paleozoic Era (550 Ma.). The Proterozoic Biosphere includes a vast amount of new data on Proterozoic organisms and their modern analogs. Prepared by the Precambrian Paleobiology Research Group, a multidisciplinary consortium of forty-one scientists from eight countries, this monograph will serve as a benchmark in the development of the science of the biochemistry and the organic chemistry of Proterozoic sediments. The three main goals of this study are: (1) to amass, evaluate, and synthesize the large body of paleobiologic data available from previous studies, eliminating mistakes so that future investigations will not be encumbered by them; (2) to generate new data and new analyses based on the reexamination of previous studies and on new investigations within an interdisciplinary framework; (3) to build toward the future by placing special emphasis on new or relatively neglected aspects of paleobiologic study and by highlighting major unsolved problems in the field.

Table of Contents

List of contributors

Preface

Geology and paleobiology of the Archean Earth

Geological evolution of the Proterozoic Earth

Proterozoic biochemistry

Proterozoic atmosphere and ocean

Proterozoic and selected early Cambrian microfossils: prokaryotes and protists

Modern mat-building microbial communities: a key to the interpretation of Proterozoic stromatolitic communities

Proterozoic and earliest Cambrian carbonaceous remains, trace and body fossils

The Proterozoic-early Cambrian evolution of metaphytes and metazoans

Molecular phylogenetics, molecular paleontologym and the Proterozoic fossil record

Biostratigraphy and paleobiology of the Proterozoic

Biotic diversity and rates of evolution during Proterozoic and earliest Phanerozoic time

A paleogeographic model for Vendian and Cambrian time

Evolution of the Proterozoic biosphere: benchmarks, tempo and mode

Geographic and geologic data for PPRG rock samples

Flow chart and processing procedures for rock samples

Procedures of whole rock and kerogen analysis

Abundances and isotopic compositions of carbon and sulphur species in whole rock and kerogen samples

Procedures for analysis of extractable organic matter

Composition of extractable organic matter

Modern mat-building microbial communities: methods of investigation and supporting data

Construction and use of geological, geochemical and paleobiological databases

Proterozoic and selected early Cambrian microfossils and microfossil-like objects

Described taxa of Proterozoic and selected earliest Cambrian Carbonaceous remains, trace and body fossils

Atlas of representative Proterozoic microfossils

Informal revised classifications of Proterozoic microfossils

Models for Vendian-Cambrian biotic diversity and for Proterozoic atmospheric and ocean chemistry

Glossary of technical terms

References cited

Subject index

Index to geologic units

Taxonomic index

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