The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death

Pierre M. Durand first real exposure to biology was as an undergraduate student. Taking a shortcut to a physics lecture via the Zoology Department led to a serendipitous encounter with an exhibit on adaptive radiation in cichlids. A fascination with evolutionary biology began. He is an alumnus of King's College, London, and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where he is currently reader in evolutionary biology. This is his first book.

Foreword (by Eugene V. Koonin)
Preface
List of abbreviations
An introduction to the scientific study of life and death

Part One: The origin of life

1 Philosophical considerations and the origin of life
2 The biotic world
3 The theory of life’s origins
4 Life at the very beginning I: the chemistry of the first biomolecules
5 Life at the very beginning II: the emergence of complex RNA molecules
6 The origin of life was an evolutionary transition in individuality
7 A synthesis for the origin of life

Part Two: The origin of death

8 Philosophical considerations and the origin of death
9 Observations of death
10 Mechanisms and measures of programmed cell death in the unicellular world
11 True PCD: when PCD is an adaptation
12 Ersatz PCD: the non-adaptive explanations for PCD
13 Programmed cell death and the levels of selection
14 A synthesis for the origin of programmed cell death

Part Three: Origins of life and death, and their coevolution

15 Group selection and the origins of life and death
16 Life and death coevolution, and the emergence of complexity
  Postface
Additional notes
Reference list
Index