Fungal Biology in the Origin and Emergence of Life

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The rhythm of life on Earth includes several strong themes contributed by Kingdom Fungi. So why are fungi ignored when theorists ponder the origin of life? Casting aside common theories that life originated in an oceanic primeval soup, in a deep, hot place, or even a warm little pond, this is a mycological perspective on the emergence of life on Earth. The author traces the crucial role played by the first biofilms - products of aerosols, storms, volcanic plumes and rainout from a turbulent atmosphere - which formed in volcanic caves 4 billion years ago. Moore describes how these biofilms contributed to the formation of the first prokaryotic cells, and later, unicellular stem eukaryotes, highlighting the role of the fungal grade of organisation in the evolution of higher organisms. Based on the latest research, this is a unique account of the origin of life and its evolutionary diversity to the present day.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Learning from life on Earth in the present day
• 2 Essentials of fungal cell biology
• 3 First, make a habitat
• 4 The building blocks of life
• 5 An extraterrestrial origin of life?
• 6 Endogenous synthesis of prebiotic organic compounds on the young Earth
• 7 Cooking the recipe for life
• 8 'It's life, Jim...'
• 9 Coming alive: what happened and where?
• 10 My name is LUCA
• 11 Towards eukaryotes
• 12 Rise of the fungi
• 13 Emergence of diversity
• References
• Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This wonderful, refreshing take on origins-of-life studies reviews the present state of affairs, including the missing elements of fungal biology. Every biologist in this field needs to read this book. From the title, this reviewer believed that the work was going to be an exercise in promoting a fungal origin of life to replace some prior paradigm. Instead, Moore (Univ. of Manchester, UK) provides a highly intelligent and reasoned assessment of the role of fungal biology in the discussion of the origins and early evolution of life on Earth. Much of the text comprises reviews (and critiques) of some historically standard ideas in origins-of-life studies. This is a useful endeavor, which helps to provide a balanced understanding of many fundamental issues in early evolution. For example, the author argues that osmotrophy must have preceded phagotrophy in evolution. Unfortunately, fossil fungi studies are not reviewed critically enough, but Moore is to be commended for not giving voice to many of the more ridiculous claims surrounding ancient fungi. A welcome secondary theme, which permeates the book, is that of cooperation (symbiosis) as an evolutionary mechanism that is favored over competition (selection). Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; informed general readers. P. K. Strother Boston College