Do minerals evolve?

Fedor Sandalov – PhD student, Department of Mineralogy, Faculty of Geology, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Lecture in English. Everybody has heard about biological evolutionary theory, which plays an important role in explaining the development of life on Earth. The next step in this theory would be to look at the geological world through the scope of evolution. Is there an evolution in minerals - basic units of a nonliving system? To answer this question we should, first, define what a mineral is and how many of them exist on and beyond the Earth. Second, how does the diversity and distribution of minerals in the geological environment connect with the history of the planet? Third, what is the role of life in the process? These and other issues will be discussed in the presentation.