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Cosmic biology : how life could evolve on other worlds / Louis Neal Irwin, Dirk Schulze-Makuch. — New York : Springer, 2011. – (58.1718/I72) |
Contents
Contents
Preface
List of illustrations
1 Rare Earths and Life Unseen
1.1 How habitats come about
1.2 The Rare Earth model
1.3 The Life Unseen model
1.4 Strategy for the study of cosmic biology
1.5 Chapter summary
1.6 References and further reading
2 Life， Chemistry， Action!
2.1 The challenge of defining "life"
2.2 Matter gone wild: the special chemistry of life
2.3 The advantages of liquids for life
2.4 The need for and sources of energy for living systems
2.5 Chapter Summary
2.6 References and further reading
3 Life's Fundamentals
3.1 Beginnings
3.2 Organic evolution: the process of biological change through time
3.3 Ecosystems: from populations to pyramids
3.4 Chapter summary
3.5 References and further reading
4 Fire and Water
4.1 Nature of Earth 69
4.2 A model for the history of life on Earth 74
4.3 A deduced biosphere for Earth 89
4.4 Characteristics of biota on Earth 96
4.5 What alien observers could get wrong about life on Earth 101
4.6 Chapter Summary 102
4.7 References and further reading 103
5 Frozen Desert
5.1 Peeling through layers of Martian mystery
5.2 Overview of Martian planetary history
5.3 Reconstructing a plausible evolutionary history for putative life on Mars
5.4 A putative Martian biosphere
5.5 Ecosystems on Mars
5.6 Biotic communities on Mars
5.7 Earth analogues of Martian habitats
5.8 Characteristics of life on Mars
5.9 What could be wrong with this picture?
5.10 Life may have been discovered on Mars already
5.11 Chapter summary
5.12 References and further reading
6 Hell Fire and Brimstone
6.1 Nature of Venus
6.2 Planetary history of Venus
6.3 A possible evolutionary history for putative life on Venus
6.4 The prospect of finding fossil evidence of life on Venus
6.5 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Venus
6.6 Characteristics of life on Venus
6.7 Possibilities for life on exoplanets like Venus
6.8 Chapter summary
6.9 References and further reading
7 Suspended Animation
7.1 Prospects for life in the clouds of Venus
7.2 Prospects for life in the atmospheres of gas giant planets
7.3 Prospects for life in the atmospheres of exoplanets
7.4 Chapter summary
7.5 References and further reading
8 Deep and Dark
8.1 Nature of Europa
8.2 Planetary history of Jovian satellites
8.3 Conditions for life on Europa
8.4 Energy for life on Europa
8.5 Forms of life on Europa
8.6 Possible evolutionary history for putative life on Europa
8.7 Ecosystems on Europa
8.8 Biotic communities on Europa
8.9 Characteristics of Europan biota
8.10 Properties of Europa not conducive
8.11 Enceladus: variations on a theme
8.12 Significance of the potential for life
8.13 Chapter summary
8.14 References and further reading
9 Fire and ice
9.1 Nature of Io
9.2 Planetary history of Io
9.3 Conditions for life on Io
9.4 Origin of life on Io
9.5 Habitats for life on Io
9.6 A possible evolutionary history for life on Io
9.7 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Io
9.8 Characteristics of life on Io
9.9 Chapter summary
9.10 References and further reading
10 Petrolakes
10.1 Nature of Titan
10.2 Planetary history of Titan
10.3 Conditions (good and bad) for life on Titan
10.4 A possible evolutionary history for putative life on Titan
10.5 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Titan 245
10.6 Characteristics of life on Titan 245
10.7 Note of caution 248
10.8 Chapter summary 249
10.9 References and further reading 250
11 Exotic Cocktails
11.1 Nature of dwarf planets
11.2 Outline of the history of dwarf planets like Pluto and Triton
11.3 Nature of Pluto and Charon
11.4 Nature of Triton
11.5 Conditions conducive for life on Triton and Pluto
11.6 Scenarios for the possible evolution of life on Triton
11.7 Chapter summary
11.8 References and further reading
12 Biocomplexity in the Cosmos
12.1 Evolution of size， complexity， and biodiversity
12.2 Evolution of intelligence and technology
12.3 Emergence of technology
12.4 Where are they? Dealing with the Fermi Paradox 289
12.5 Chapter summary 293
12.6 References and further reading 293
13 Anticipating the Future
13.1 Three prospects for any form of life
13.2 Thoughts on the relative frequency of different forms of life
13.3 The fate and future of life on Earth
13.4 The fate and future of life on other worlds
13.5 Chapter summary
13.6 References and further reading
Glossary
Index
