Perspectives in astrobiology (IOS Press, 2005)
Includes bibliographical references and index
Title page; Preface; Acknowledgements; NATO Participants; List of Student Participants; Contents; Nature of Framboidal Structures in Black Shales (the Cambrian of the Siberian Platform and the Permian of the Barents Sea Shelf); Bacteriomorphic Structures From the Sinsk Formation (Lower Cambrian of the Siberian Platform); Constraining Subglacial Settings Using Clay-Supported Ice Rafted Detritus (Mud Grains) in Antarctic Marine Sediment: A Framework for Astrobiology; Apsidal Motion Problem in the Eclipsing Binary Star DR Vulpeculae; Amino Acids: Probes for Life's Origin in the Solar System
Astrobiology is the multi-disciplinary field devoted to the investigation of the origin; physical, chemical and environmental limitations; and the distribution in space and time of life on Earth and in the Cosmos. Astrobiology seeks an answer to one of the most fundamental of all questions: - Is Life Restricted to Planet Earth or is Life a Cosmic Imperative? Understanding the characteristics, properties, habits and diversity of living organisms on Earth is crucial to determine where and how to search for evidence of life elsewhere