Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biological Innovations that Built the World

A Four-billion-year Journey through Life and Earth History

  • Book
  • © 2019

Overview

Authors:
  1. Roberto Ligrone

    1. Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Offers a comprehensive review of fundamental topics in integrative biology ranging from the appearance of life to the emergence of humans, with emphasis on environmental impact

  • Written from an integrative biological perspective

  • Contains a glossary of less common technical terms

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 1-22

  3. The Origins

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 23-52

  4. The Birth of Life

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 53-97

  5. Moving to the Light: The Evolution of Photosynthesis

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 99-127

  6. The Great Oxygenation Event

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 129-154

  7. Eukaryotes

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 155-231

  8. Sexual Reproduction

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 233-249

  9. Multicellularity

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 251-267

  10. The Chloroplast and Photosynthetic Eukaryotes

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 269-310

  11. The Animals

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 311-346

  12. Land Plants

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 347-397

  13. The Emergence of Humanity

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 399-470

  14. Synopsis

    • Roberto Ligrone
    Pages 471-475

  15. Back Matter

    Pages 477-490
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

The book is a detailed account of major biological events that contributed to create the present world and our species, with emphasis on cause-effect interrelationships and environmental impact. Its main goal is to guide the reader toward an understanding of the continuity of life across diversity, and of its large-scale interactions with the planet. Combining scientific soundness with a constant effort for clarity, the book begins with a cloud of dust in a corner of the Galaxy and, covering an immense lapse of time, terminates with an organism that ponders about the texture of the Universe. Comprehensive, updated references added to each chapter will help the reader wishing to expand any of the topics. A glossary explains less common technical terms.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy

    Roberto Ligrone

About the author

Roberto Ligrone: Professor of Plant Biology at the Second University of Naples, now University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, he retired in 2014. His main research interest was evolutionary biology of lower land plants, a field in which he has gained international reputation. He is also an author of several textbooks and dissemination papers.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Biological Innovations that Built the World

  • Book Subtitle: A Four-billion-year Journey through Life and Earth History

  • Authors: Roberto Ligrone

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16057-9

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-16056-2Published: 14 June 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-16059-3Published: 15 August 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-16057-9Published: 29 May 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIX, 490

  • Number of Illustrations: 145 b/w illustrations, 47 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Evolutionary Biology, Microbiology, Biogeosciences, Environmental Science and Engineering

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation