Origins & Evolution

<p><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>The concept of evolution has historically been applied to the origins and adaptation of biological traits and species. But what if the notion of evolution is more pervasive and multifaceted?</span></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>The concept of evolution has historically been applied to the origins and adaptation of biological traits and species.</strong></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>But what if the notion of evolution is more pervasive and multifaceted?</strong></p><p><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>In his groundbreaking earlier book </span><em>Active Biological Evolution</em> Frank Laukien made a startling evidence-based assertion: While random mutations <em>were</em> the primary change mechanism of evolution during early life and remain relevant in pathobiology in the era of modern</p><p>biology...</p><p><em style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>Adaptive evolution via genomic and epigenetic changes prior to Darwinian selection is primarily the result of active cell biology processes.</em></p><p><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>In short Laukien concluded: </span><strong>The processes of adaptive evolution are <em>themselves</em> evolving.</strong></p><p><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>In </span><em>Origins & Evolution</em> his follow-up work Laukien continues to challenge conventional wisdom and offer novel insights. Employing the framework</p><p>of evolution he explores feedback-driven processes in the realms of cosmological planetary geological and climate evolution <em>and their effects on life and organismal evolution.</em></p><p><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>Laukien delves into:</span></p><ul><li><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>The origins of molecular evolvability and cellular life as well as of astrobiology with putative exoplanet life</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>Earth's tumultuous evolution with frozen episodes and warm periods with carbon dioxide levels five times higher than today</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>The evolutionary impact of six mass extinctions in the last 600 million years and the chances of future mass extinctions</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>Our evolving climate-with over 50 near-regular Northern ice ages in the last 3 million years along with the unpredictable consequences of anthropogenic climate change</span></li><li><em style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>Eusociality</em><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)> in </span><em style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>homo</em><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)> </span><em style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>sapiens</em><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>-the only intelligent species with a technological civilization that has evolved on Earth in 3.8 billion years among 100 million species</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>The concept of a </span><em style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>lifetime of species</em><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)> in evolution from ten thousands to millions of years and the implications for the evolution of future </span><em style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>hominin</em><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)> species and hybrids</span></li></ul><p><span style=color: rgba(66 63 63 1)>A must-read for anyone pondering the evolutionary history and future of life as well as of </span><em>Homo</em> <em>sapiens</em> and the <em>meaning</em> of our existence.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>