This volume presents a sample of views and visions among some of the growing numbers of Neoproterozoic workers. It includes a set of multidisciplinary reviews on the Neoproterozoic fossil record, evolutionary developmental biology of animals, and molecular clock estimates of phylogenetic divergences. These topics are of continuing interest to geoscientists and bioscientists who are intrigued by the deep history of the Earth and its inhabitants.

In recent years, interest in Neoproterozoic glaciations has grown as their pivotal role in Earth system evolution has become increasingly clear. One of the main goals of the IGCP Project number 512 was to produce a synthesis of newly available information on Neoproterozoic successions worldwide. This Memoir consists of a series of overview chapters followed by site-specific chapters. The overviews cover key topics including the history of research on Neoproterozoic glaciations, identification of glacial deposits, chemostratigraphic techniques and datasets, palaeomagnetism, biostratigraphy, geochronology and climate modelling. The site specific chapters include reviews of the history of research on these rocks and up-to-date syntheses of the structural framework, tectonic setting, palaeomagnetic & geochronological constraints, physical, biological, and chemical stratigraphy, and descriptions of the glaciogenic and associated strata, including economic deposits.

2012 PROSE Award, Earth Science: Honorable Mention For more than fifty years scientists have been concerned with the interrelationships of Earth and life. Over the past decade, however, geobiology, the name given to this interdisciplinary endeavour, has emerged as an exciting and rapidly expanding field, fuelled by advances in molecular phylogeny, a new microbial ecology made possible by the molecular revolution, increasingly sophisticated new techniques for imaging and determining chemical compositions of solids on nanometer scales, the development of non-traditional stable isotope analyses, Earth systems science and Earth system history, and accelerating exploration of other planets within and beyond our solar system. Geobiology has many faces: there is the microbial weathering of minerals, bacterial and skeletal biomineralization, the roles of autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolisms in elemental cycling, the redox history in the oceans and its relationship to evolution and the origin of life itself.. This book is the first to set out a coherent set of principles that underpin geobiology, and will act as a foundational text that will speed the dissemination of those principles. The chapters have been carefully chosen to provide intellectually rich but concise summaries of key topics, and each has been written by one or more of the leading scientists in that field.. Fundamentals of Geobiology is aimed at advanced undergraduates and graduates in the Earth and biological sciences, and to the growing number of scientists worldwide who have an interest in this burgeoning new discipline. Additional resources for this book can be found at: http://www.wiley.com/go/knoll/geobiology.

The book deals with the record of important Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic events in southwestern Gondwana, that heralded the Cambrian explosion and the dawn of modern ecosystems. It contains a detailed account of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian geological record in a poorly-known part of the world, which is at the same time key to understand fundamental processes at the Proterozoic-Cambrian transition. The emphasis is placed on litho-, bio-, chemostratigraphy and magmatism. The palaeoclimatic, tectonic, evolutionary radiation and extinction events and associated mineralizations will be identified and discussed. A synthesis of all data is provided at the end of the book, integrating the data from all cratons and fold belts in southwestern Gondwana. The events will be individualized, their impact discussed and correlations between different successions both within and outside Gondwana proposed.The book is organized in three sections. Section one is an introduction to the neoproterozoic and Cambrian seen as a time of upheavals, extremes and innovations. Section two comprises nineteen chapters dealing with the neoproterozoic-Cambrian events in southwestern Gondwana. Section three will provide a synthesis on every major topic, and a critical assessment of the global implications of the presented data. - The book deals with the record of important Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic events in southwestern Gondwana, that heralded the Cambrian explosion and the dawn of modern ecosystems - It contains a detailed account of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian geological record in a poorly-known part of the world, which is at the same time key to understand fundamental processes at the Proterozoic-Cambrian transition - The emphasis is placed on litho-, bio-, chemostratigraphy and magmatism

"...a number of chapters provide excellent summaries of the modern methods available for studying fungal ecology, along with those more traditional methods that are still extremely valuable...overall it is a hugely valuable compendium of fungal ecology research. It is a must for the library shelf." -Lynne Boddy, Cardiff University, UK, Mycological Research, 2006 "These 44 chapters are an excellent starting point for anyone interested in fungal communities, in the broadest sense of the term. It is a book for dipping into...may be the last comprehensive treatment of fungal communities before the molecular revolution." -Meriel Jones, University of Liverpool, UK, Microbiology Today "... the scope of the work is tremendous. ... Excellent chapters providing overviews of methods ... provide a snap shot of the current approaches used to understand fungal communities at several levels of organization. This book should probably be on the shelf of every student of mycology, and many ecologists too. For all students, this book should be a valuable resource and source of inspiration." -Daniel Henk, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, in Inoculum, Vol. 59, No. 3, May 2008 "Thorough taxonomic and subject indices further aid the reader in navigating through multiple authors’ treatments of subjects of interest." - Anthony Amend, Department of Botany, University of Hawaii at Manoa in Economic Botany, V. 61 In all subjects in science, new findings and the use of new technologies allow us to develop an ever-greater understanding of our world. Expanded and updated coverage in the fourth edition includes: Adds new sections on Integrating Genomics and Metagenomics into Community Analysis, Recent Advances in Fungal Endophyte Research, Fungi in the Built Environment, and Fungal Signaling and Communication Includes a broader treatment of fungal communities in natural ecosystems with in-depth coverage of fungal adaptations to stress and conservation Expands coverage of the influence of climate change on fungi and the role of fungi in organically polluted ecosystems Includes contributions from scientists from 20 nations to illustrate a true global approach for bridging gaps between ecological concepts and mycology

This volume contains papers presented in part at a symposium held in May 2012 at Göttingen University, to honour Professor Joachim Reitner for his numerous contributions to the fields of geobiology, geology, and palaeontology. Our present volume reflects the breadth of Reitner’s interests and accomplishement with tributes and research or review papers by his students, former students, collaborators, and friends. The symposium was held in conjunction with Joachim Reitner’s 60th birthday.

This volume provides a detailed description of a wide range of numerical, statistical or modeling techniques and novel instrumentation separated into individual chapters written by paleontologists with expertise in the given methodology. Each chapter outlines the strengths and limitations of specific numerical or technological approaches, and ultimately applies the chosen method to a real fossil dataset or sample type. A unifying theme throughout the book is the evaluation of fossils during the prologue and epilogue of one of the most exciting events in Earth History: the Cambrian radiation.

This edited volume is the first to address the latest advances in biodiversity-function science using marine examples. It provides an in-depth evaluation of the science before offering a perspective on future research directions for some of the most pressing environmental issues facing society today and in the future.

A comprehensive account of taxonomy, including historical overviews, the first cladistic analyses of bacteria based on classical evidence, the most comprehensive cladistic analyses of eukaryotes based on classical evidence, cladograms, tables and lists, descriptions of the various groups, profiles of taxonomists, and coverage of classifications for lower groups, evolution, and fossils, with edits and a chapter on ecology and biogeography and one on geological time added for this 2nd edition.

The evolutionary history of life includes two primary components: phylogeny and timescale. Phylogeny refers to the branching order (relationships) of species or other taxa within a group and is crucial for understanding the inheritance of traits and for erecting classifications. However, a timescale is equally important because it provides a way to compare phylogeny directly with the evolution of other organisms and with planetary history such as geology, climate, extraterrestrialimpacts, and other features.The Timetree of Life is the first reference book to synthesize the wealth of information relating to the temporal component of phylogenetic trees. In the past, biologists have relied exclusively upon the fossil record to infer an evolutionary timescale. However, recent revolutionary advances in molecular biology have made it possible to not only estimate the relationships of many groups of organisms, but also to estimate their times of divergence with molecular clocks. The routineestimation and utilization of these so-called 'time-trees' could add exciting new dimensions to biology including enhanced opportunities to integrate large molecular data sets with fossil and biogeographic evidence (and thereby foster greater communication between molecular and traditional systematists). Theycould help estimate not only ancestral character states but also evolutionary rates in numerous categories of organismal phenotype; establish more reliable associations between causal historical processes and biological outcomes; develop a universally standardized scheme for biological classifications; and generally promote novel avenues of thought in many arenas of comparative evolutionary biology.This authoritative reference work brings together, for the first time, experts on all major groups of organisms to assemble a timetree of life. The result is a comprehensive resource on evolutionary history which will be an indispensable reference for scientists, educators, and students in the life sciences, earth sciences, and molecular biology. For each major group of organism, a representative is illustrated and a timetree of families and higher taxonomic groups is shown. Basic aspects ofthe evolutionary history of the group, the fossil record, and competing hypotheses of relationships are discussed. Details of the divergence times are presented for each node in the timetree, and primary literature references are included. The book is complemented by an online database(www.timetree.net) which allows researchers to both deposit and retrieve data.