Abstract During the past decade, important strides have been made toward deciphering the paleobiology of the Precambrian Eon, the earliest seven-eighths of Earth history. This progress has accured chiefly from micropaleontological and organic geochemical studies of fine-grained, ancient cherts. Although understanding of the early biota—of its composition, diversity, paleocology and evolution—still remains far from adequate, three particularly significant generalizations have emerged: (i) Living systems were extant earlier than about 3000 m.y. ago; (ii) between about 3000 and 1000 m.y. ago, the Earth's biota was dominated by prokaryotic blue-green algae; and (iii) the development of the nucleated, eukaryotic cell type somewhat earlier than 1000 m.y. ago led to a stage of rapid diversification that culminated with the appearance of megascopic life near the close of the Precambrian. Consideration of these generalizations, and of the evidence bearing on them provides a ‘state-of-the-art’ assessment of the current status of Precambrian paleobiology.
The development and diversification of Precambrian life
Origins of life ; 5 , 1-2
1974
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
Lokalklassifikation TIB: | 535/3908/4290 | |
BKL: | 44.71 Verkehrsmedizin |
Precambrian paleobiology - Problems and perspectives
NTRS | 1975
|Organic geochemistry of Early Precambrian sediments
NTRS | 1972
|Extractable organic matter in Precambrian cherts
NTRS | 1971
|International Symposium on Precambrian Paleosols ; 1
TIBKAT | 1986
Porphyrins and phycobilins in Precambrian rocks
Online Contents | 1977
|