Epigenetic Processes and Evolution of Life

The book covers the possible story of emergence of life and its subsequent evolution, emphasizing the necessary evolutionary step negotiation of a common "language set" which kept all inhabitants in the biosphere together, ensuring a basic level of understanding among them. The book focuses on "protocols of communication" (both genetic and epigenetic) representing norms shared and understood across the whole biosphere, enabling a plethora of holobiotic relationships. Cooperative nature of organismal evolution and epigenetic processes as a major force in evolution are also covered. Topics discussed are illustrated in detail on selected casuistics.

Introduction The Manifold of Prebiotic Evolution Preconditions Metabolism First Replicators’ – Code first Life from Nonlife: Establishing Rules and Codes Proteins ‘Universal Cell’ Life Is Pillars and itinerary of the biosphere Biospheric games Towards a New Manifold: The Biosphere Dating Life’s Appearance Origins: Biosphere LUCA Reconstructing the Past, Making Sense of the Present Concepts of Heredity and Theories of Evolution Descent with Modification J. B. Lamarck After Lamarck: Organic Memory Experimental Embryology Units of Heredity The Age of DNA Modern Synthesis Evolutionary Developmental Biology Phylotypic Stage Modularity The Rise of Epigenetics Phenotypic Plasticity Organistic System Approach The "Phenotype First" Approach Niche Construction Philosophical Approaches Philosophical Turnoff on Causality New Dimensions of Diversity On Digital Shaping DNA Proteins The Hairball Targeted Epimutations Combing the Shapes of Nucleic Acids Protein Modularity Unrooted in the Norm yet Faithful to It Information Boom Quorum Sensing Signal Transduction Chance, Necessity, and Gratuity Processing and Responding Simplexity Morphogenesis The Tradition of the New Multicellularity Phylotype again Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance Biased Mutations Evolution by Cooperation: Communication between Different Lineages of Life On Lichens, Squids, and Coral Bleaching Protists Intracellular Symbiosis in Multicellular Organisms Mycorrhiza Bacterial Consortia Mimetic Rings I, Holobiont Human Holobiont Variation in Microbiome Within Individuals Colonization Determinants Functions of Microbiome Fecal Transplants Holobiont as a Unit of Selection Criticism Life as interpretation The Nine-Word Game Species as Cultures References .

Anton Markoš (1949), is a biologist at the Charles University in Prague, Czechia (department of philosophy and history of science). He works and teaches cell biology, theoretical and evolutionary biology. His books in English are Readers of the Book of Life (2002) and (with co-authors) Life as Its Own Designer (2009). Recently published papers include subjects such as in epigenetics, biosemiotics, language metaphor of life, and morphogenesis of bacterial colonies. Jana Švorcová (1982) studied both philosophy and theoretical and evolutionary biology at Charles University, and currently works at the same department as Anton Markoš, her former supervisor. Švorcová teaches theoretical biology and publishes papers concerning non-genetic inheritance, evo-devo and philosophy of biology.