PLANETARY CONDITIONS AT THE HADEAN AND ARCHEAN TRANSITION: POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR THE ORIGIN OF LIFE

PLANETARY CONDITIONS AT THE HADEAN AND ARCHEAN TRANSITION: POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR THE ORIGIN OF LIFE

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

Chapter 2: HADEAN EARTH

2.1. TEMPORAL LIMITS

2.2. MAGMA OCEAN

2.3. LATE HEAVY BOMBARDMENT

2.4. REDOX STATE OF THE PRIMITIVE MANTLE

2.5. PRIMITIVE LITHOSPHERE

2.6. PLATE TECTONICS AND MINERAL EVOLUTION

Chapter 3: GEOPHYSICAL ASPECTS OF EARTH’S PRIMITIVE OUTER LAYERS

3.1. INTRODUCTION

3.2. THE YOUNG FAINT SUN PARADOX

3.3. THE EARTH’S EARLY MAGNETOSPHERE

3.4. COSMIC RAYS AND THE EARLY EARTH

3.5. HYDROSPHERE

3.6. ATMOSPHERE

Chapter 4: THE CHEMICAL APPROACH TO THE ORIGIN OF LIFE

4.1. THE HETEROTROPHIC HYPOTHESIS

4.2. AUTOTROPHIC HYPOTHESIS

4.3. ENERGY AND MATTER ON EARLY EARTH

4.3.1. Energy Sources of Early Earth

4.3.2. Organic Matter Sources

4.4. STABILITY OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN THE PRIMITIVE EARTH

4.5. CHEMICAL COMPONENTS IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE

4.6. PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY

4.6.1. The Oparin-Haldane Hypothesis

4.6.2. Simulated Experiments

4.6.3. RNA World

4.6.4. Thioester World

4.6.5. Pre-Rna World

4.6.6. Clay Theory

4.6.7. Thermal Vents

4.7. THE OPTICAL ACTIVITY PROBLEM

4.8. REMARKS

Chapter 5: PRE-CELLULAR SYSTEMS AND FIRST ORGANISMS

5.1. EARLIEST FOSSILS AND PALEONTOLOGY

Chapter 6: DISCUSSION

REFLECTIONS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES

WHEN AND WHERE LIFE ORIGINATED ON EARTH?

REFERENCES

INDEX