2002 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 5.0 Reports Reporting | JUL 2001 – JUN 2002
Roadmap Objective 5.0— Describe the sequences of causes and effects associated with the development of Earth's early biosphere and the global environment.
Project Reports
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Module 1A
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 8.0 11.0 -
Building a Habitable Planet: The Geological Record
Research was conducted on Archean U-Pb geochronology, basalt trace-element geochemistry, hydrocarbon biomarker geochemistry, sulfur isotopic fractionation, microfossil recognition, and Paleoproterozoic hydrocarbon preservation in fluid inclusions.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 11.0 12.0 -
Impact Frustration and Subsequent Generation of Biologically Tenable Climates on Earth and Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 11.0 -
Geobiology and Geochemistry of Early Earth and Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 -
Benner – Self-Reproducing Molecular Systems and Darwinian Chemistry
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 16.0 17.0 -
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – the Life Modules
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 11.0 13.0 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: The Proterozoic Oxidiation of the Earth’s Surface
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 12.0 -
Morphologic Biomarkers and Microbial Ecology
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0 -
Biogeochemistry of Earth’s Greenhouse Leading to the Rise of Oxygen
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 -
Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Katherine H. Freeman
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 12.0 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: Neoproterozoic-Cambrian Environmental Change and Evolution
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 8.0 12.0 14.0 -
Eukaryotic rRNA Evolution: Origins of “Crown Group Taxa”.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 -
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – Synthesis and Architecture
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 -
Theoretical Studies of Hydrothermal Synthesis Reactions
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction and Its Consequences
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 12.0 14.0 -
Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Hiroshi Ohmoto
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 15.0 -
Origin and Early Evolution of Photosynthesis
Work on the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis is carried out by a highly interdisciplinary team of scientists from several different institutions. The overall theme is understanding the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis and its effect on the biosphere. This year four main aspects have been emphasized: (1) whole genome comparative analyses of photosynthetic organisms, (2) the search for phototrophs in non-solar environments around hydrothermal vents, (3) field and laboratory studies of photosynthetic organisms in thermophilic and iron-rich environments and (4) Biochemical analysis of primitive phototrophic organisms. Each of these projects has seen significant progress, as described below.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 -
Fractionation of Transition Metal Isotopes
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 8.0 -
Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate and Biosphere – Rosemary C. Capo
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 11.0 12.0 14.0 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: Molecular and Isotopic Approaches to Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 14.0 -
Evolution of Earth’s Early Life
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 8.0 -
Early Microbial Ecosystems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 13.0 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: Geobiology of Neogene Hematitic Sedimentary Rocks
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 -
Submicroscopic Studies of Microfossils and Fossilization Processes in Ancient Cherts
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 -
Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Brian W. Stewart
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 12.0 14.0 -
Genomic Evolution and the Tree of Life
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 12.0 -
Laboratory/Observational Studies of Biogenic Greenhouse Gases on the Early Earth
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 12.0 13.0 -
Resources to Support Life on Other Planets
We are examining the availability of resources that might support life on Mars, as a way of understanding both the potential for life there and the nature of planetary habitability.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 8.0 -
Environmental Evolution of the Archean Earth
We wrote 4 papers on:
- Brines on Mars (In press)
- Caliche as a target for astrobiological prospecting on Mars ( in revision following review)
- Climatic temperature of the Archean Earth (in revision following review)
- Brines on Mars as electrical conductors susceptible to geophysical
detection (in revision following review)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 8.0 -
Celestial Influences on Planetary Environments
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 12.0 15.0 -
Biological Studies of Hydrothermal Systems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 12.0 14.0 -
Ecosystem to Biosphere Modeling
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 14.0 15.0 -
Causes and Consequences of the Diversification and Extinction of Metazoans: Neoproterozoic Variations – Michael Arthur
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 12.0 14.0 -
Hematite on Mars: Implications for Astrobiology
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 8.0 17.0 -
Evogenomics (Collaborative Focus Group Research)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 -
Biogeochemistry of the Early Earth
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 7.0 12.0 -
Molecular Analysis of Microbial Ecosystems in Extreme Enviornments
Projects continue to revolve around the development and use of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) based molecular methods to survey and study the microbial constituents of ecosystems in extreme environments without the requirement for cultivation of the organisms.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0 -
MASSE Development (Formally MILDI)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0 -
Isotopic and Molecular Tracers of Life
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 3.0 5.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 11.0 14.0 16.0 -
Fe Isotope Biosignatures
Our research program in Year 4 has focused on five aspects of Fe isotope geochemistry, and our findings are based on ~1,000 new high-precision Fe isotope analyses using the new NAI-funded MC-ICP-MS lab
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 -
Causes and Consequences of the Diversification and Extinction of Metazoans: Neoproterozoic Variations – Mark Patzkowsky
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 -
Life Beyond the Planet of Origin
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0 -
Evolution in Microbe-Based Ecosystems: Desert Springs as Analogues for the Early Development and Stabilization of Ecological Systems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 14.0 -
Microbial Symbionts:agents for Reorganizing Genome Architectures.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 4.0 5.0 -
Causes of Mass Extinction: Isotopic and Paleontological Constraints
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 14.0 15.0 17.0 -
Co-Evolution of Life and Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 17.0 -
Habitability of Planetary Bodies
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 12.0 -
Plate Tectonics on the Terrestrial Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 12.0 15.0 -
Exploring the Living Universe; Origin, Evolution and Distribution of Life in the Solar System
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 9.0 11.0 -
Giant Impacts in Earth’s Early History: Reseeding the Planet and the Search for Earth Rocks on the Moon.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 -
Impacts and the Origin, Distribution, and Evolution of Life
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 12.0 14.0 -
Coevolution of Earth and Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 8.0 12.0 -
Dynamics of Comets, Asteroids, and Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 9.0 11.0 -
(S. Blair Hedges) Timescale for the Evolution of Life on Earth: Molecular Evolutionary Approach
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 4.0 5.0 7.0 8.0 11.0 12.0 14.0 -
Delivery of Organic Materials to Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 11.0 -
Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Lee Kump
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 12.0 14.0