Microcosmos

four billion years of evolution from our microbial ancestors

Hardcover, 288 pages

English language

Published Feb. 26, 1987 by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

ISBN:
9780045700158

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4 stars (1 review)

5 editions

A compelling account of early microbial evolution and symbiosis, that gets let down by speculation in the second half.

4 stars

The first two thirds of this are a fascinating exploration of microbial evolution, including some fairly compelling descriptions of microbiology that supports the symbiotic account of major evolutionary leaps.

Evolutionary iconoclast and groundbreaker Lynn Margulis and her son Dorian Sagan explore the richness of microbiological life, which was all life for more than half the history of evolution, and which they argue really remains dominant to this day. Multicellular life, including the supposedly special human, is really an extension of microbial life - we emerge within the global medium of bacteria, protists, and archae, remain dependent upon it, and exist in a world that is largely maintained and regulated by the mass of the "microcosmos".

While they explore microbial evolution they present evidence and detail which is satisfying and persuasive (though as the book is pretty old at this point, some of this has been superseded). The chapters follow a …

Subjects

  • Evolution