On the dependence of life evolution on geotectonic stages

Abstract

The Brno biologist S. Rosypal (1994 a, b) summarized the state-of-the-art concerning the origin of life from a molecular-biological viewpoint. From among the literature quoted by Rosypal, the author wishes to mention, at least, Beaudry, Joyce 1992 and Joyce 1989. In addition, Rosypal called the author's attention to the paper by Darnell, Lodish, Baltimore 1990. The viewpoint presented by Rosypal caused the author to consider the question whether the interpretation of the impacts of the periods of a galactic year could be extended to terrestrial life. Some time ago the author (Květ 1992) published his conception of the dependence of animal evolution on geotectonic stages for the past 1.3 thousand million years. It has been found that, at present, deciding impacts from the universe can be observed for both the geologic history of the Earth and the whole evolution of terrestrial life. As far as the planet Earth is concerned, the author demonstrated in his paper dealing with a periodical geological time table (Květ 1991a, b) how the duration of a geotectonic stage can depend on the galactic year that lasts 220 million years (revolution of the Solar System round the centre of the Milky Way our Galaxy). What is also showing up is the hierarchy in the "significance" of the individual tectonic stages. Geotectonic stages of different hierarchical order alternate in accordance with the 2n model (Fig 1, 2). The hierarchical order of a geotectonic stage determines the intensity of recurring geological events that manifest themselves in the Earth's crust and also affect the evolution of life. The model mentioned allowed to include a pre-geologic tectonic stage in the geological time table. This stage the most significant one, of first order corresponds to the period of the accretion induced origin of the Earth (accumulation of cosmic material) during the time interval from 4.87 thousand million to 4.65 thousand million years before the present. It could also be demonstrated that any two following each other geotectonic stages constitute a regularly appearing couple, in which the second stage is of fifth order and the first of some superior order (Tab 1). It should be pointed out that the generation of the protocontinental crust in the fifth, Pre-Saamian, geo-tectonic stage turned out to be the most significant of all of the geological events. Next to the pregeologic stage, the Pre-Saamian stage, being of third order, is of crucial importance to the primary development of the Earth till the ninth, Wanipigowan, stage that is of second order (Fig 2). The author concluded (Květ 1990a) that, among others, geometrical networks of rupture systems were formed and the so-called global glaciation of the Earth came about in the final phases of the individual geotectonic stages. As assumed by the author, these events could result from the passage of the Solar System through a section of the Milky