Contents

Fossil Molecules in Geologic Time

1.    Molecular Informants: A Changing Perspective of Organic Chemistry

2.    Looking to the Rocks: Molecular Clues to the Origin of Life

3.    From the Moon to Mars: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

4.    Black Gold: An Alchemist's Guide to Petroleum

5.    Deep Sea Mud: Biomarker Clues to Ancient Climates

6.    More Molecules, More Mud, and the Isotopic Dimension: Ancient Environments Revealed

7.    Microbiologists (Finally) Climb on Board

8.    Weird Molecules, Inconceivable Microbes, and Unlikely Environmental Proxies: Marine Ecology Revised

9.    Molecular Paleontology and Biochemical Evolution

10.    Early Life Revisited

11.    Thinking Molecularly, Anything Goes: From Mummies to Oil Spills, Doubts to New Directions

Appendix: Biomarkers at a Glance

Glossary

Figure List

Selected Bibliography

Index

A Biomarker-centric Tree of Life