(December 23, 2010 at 1:50 am)mamamia88 Wrote: i know evolution isn't an origin story i'm just trying to trace it back to the beginning. i mean if all life on earth at one point or another was single celled it had to somehow become multi celled. but, if single celled organisms where already super efficient at reproducing where is the motivation to evolve further? @chuck will check that out still want to read the original version though even though it seems so simple in it's basic concept
Life Ascending sets out, over several chapters, just how abiotic molecules may have first acquired the mechanism for reproduction, then mechanism for chemical biostasis to form the first rudimentary cellular organism. It also outlines energy budgets to show the intrinsic limits of simple cells, the advantages of complex cells, and the evolutionary mechanisms that could derive complex cells from multiple single cells of different heritages. Nick lane also outlined how complex cell can operate in colonies to their advantage, and how colonies deriving from a single genetic heritage can profit from differentiation, thus paving the way for multicellular organisms. He also outlines the evolutionary pluses and minuses of sexual reproduction, molecularly how it could have first evolved, and how it would be selected.
The stories are probably more complex then you imagine at the moment, but they are well worth a patient read.
