The Evolution of Mineral Evolution

Hazen, Robert M.; Morrison, S. M.; Prabhu, Anirudh

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-28805-0_2

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 120 publications

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“…The principal objective of this contribution was to estimate the functional information of nine different suites of minerals arranged chronologically, based on mineral cohorts that have been cataloged in the twelve parts of the “evolutionary system of mineralogy” ( 13 , 15 , 26–33 ). These estimations rely on several assumptions that underlie our calculations of the functional information of mineral systems:…”

Section: Mineral Evolution and Functional Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examples from nine sequential time periods spanning 4.56 billion years of Earth history serve to clarify these assumptions. In the following sections, “Part” refers to the published or in-preparation sequential parts of the 12-part evolutionary system of mineralogy ( 13 , 15 , 26–33 ).…”

Section: Mineral Evolution and Functional Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors do not report any new data in this manuscript. All mineralogical data underlying our calculations can be found in published tabulations of mineral formulas and paragenetic modes in reference ( 13 ).…”

Section: Data Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Open-ended versus bounded evolution: Mineral evolution as a case study

Hazen,

Wong

2024

PNAS Nexus

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To what extent are natural evolving systems limited in their potential diversity (i.e., “bounded”) versus unrestricted (“open-ended”)? Minerals provide a quantitative model evolving system, with well documented increases in mineral diversity through multiple stages of planetary evolution over billions of years. A recent framework that unifies behaviors of both biotic and abiotic evolving systems posits that all such systems are characterized by combinatorial richness subject to selection. In the case of minerals, combinatorial richness derives from the possible combinations of chemical elements coupled with permutations of their formulas’ coefficients. Observed mineral species, which are selected for persistence through deep time, represent a miniscule fraction of all possible element configurations. Furthermore, this model predicts that as planetary systems evolve, stable minerals become an ever-smaller fraction of the “possibility space.” A postulate is that “functional information,” defined as the negative log2 of that fraction, must increase as a system evolves. We have tested this hypothesis for minerals by estimating the fraction of all possible chemical formulas observed from one stage of mineral evolution to the next, based on numbers of different essential elements and the maximum chemical formula complexity at each of 9 chronological stages of mineral evolution. We find a monotonic increase in mineral functional information through these 9 stages—a result consistent with the hypothesis. Furthermore, analysis of the chemical formulas of minerals demonstrates that modern Earth may be approaching the maximum limit of functional information for natural mineral systems—a result demonstrating that mineral evolution is not open ended.

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Section: Mineral Evolution and Functional Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mineral Evolution and Functional Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Open-ended versus bounded evolution: Mineral evolution as a case study

Hazen,

Wong

2024

PNAS Nexus

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Mineral Informatics: Origins

Prabhu

Morrison

Hazen

2023

Springer Mineralogy

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Molecular assembly indices of mineral heteropolyanions: some abiotic molecules are as complex as large biomolecules

Hazen,

Burns,

Cleaves

et al. 2024

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Molecular assembly indices, which measure the number of unique sequential steps theoretically required to construct a three-dimensional molecule from its constituent atomic bonds, have been proposed as potential biosignatures. A central hypothesis of assembly theory is that any molecule with an assembly index ≥15 found in significant local concentrations represents an unambiguous sign of life. We show that abiotic molecule-like heteropolyanions, which assemble in aqueous solution as precursors to some mineral crystals, range in molecular assembly indices from 2 for H 2 CO 3 or Si(OH) 4 groups to as large as 21 for the most complex known molecule-like subunits in the rare minerals ewingite and ilmajokite. Therefore, values of molecular assembly indices ≥15 do not represent unambiguous biosignatures.

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The Evolution of Mineral Evolution

Cited by 3 publications

References 120 publications

Open-ended versus bounded evolution: Mineral evolution as a case study

Open-ended versus bounded evolution: Mineral evolution as a case study

Mineral Informatics: Origins

Molecular assembly indices of mineral heteropolyanions: some abiotic molecules are as complex as large biomolecules

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