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....”