The Processes of Geobiological Evolution on a Living Planet

Geobiology is the study of the co-evolution of life and Earth, merging disciplines such as paleobiology, sedimentology, geomicrobiology, geochemistry, geology and evolutionary biology. Geobiology has developed a wide arsenal of tools to document the record of the evolution on a living planet, which, in turn, raises the question of which evolutionary processes led to geobiological diversity and functioning on the planet today, as well as the role(s) of these processes in generating such diversity and functioning deep in Earth’s past.

In this Gordon Research Conference, the scientific sessions are centered around nine open questions within the realm of Geobiological evolution, each of which focuses on a process that is key to understanding the co-evolution of a living planet. Throughout this conference we will explore the mechanisms that have enabled life to thrive and survive at the surface of the planet for more than 3.5 billion years, the roles that theory and evidence play in understanding the record of co-evolution on a living planet, and new approaches from sibling fields to Geobiology allow us to explore these ideas further.