Academic Journal
View in EDS

Planetary system evolution and the extended biosphere: we humans are products of Earth's biosphere; we have become its co-creators; can we be its regulators?

Bibliographic Details
Title: Planetary system evolution and the extended biosphere: we humans are products of Earth's biosphere; we have become its co-creators; can we be its regulators?
Authors: Vince G; UCL, London, UK.
Source: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences [Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci] 2025 Aug 07; Vol. 380 (1931), pp. 20240104. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Aug 07.
Publication Type: Journal Article; Review
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Royal Society Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 7503623 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2970 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09628436 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: London : Royal Society, 1934-
MeSH Terms: Earth, Planet* , Ecosystem* , Evolution, Planetary* , Biological Evolution*, Humans
Abstract: The energy balance of a planet is set by the sunlight entering and the heat radiating back from it. Earth's biosphere adds new complexity as energy flows through global marine and terrestrial ecosystems altering physical and chemical systems, including global climate. Energy is essential for life, and the main constraint on abundance and productivity is the amount of energy an organism can harvest. When the first lifeforms evolved fire-making culture-there is evidence in our hominin ancestors, some 1 million years ago-it sparked a novel form of energy relationship: deliberate combustion, which would change the planet. The innate drive to harvest ever more energy changed the evolution of our species and transformed the world's environments. Humans became the dominant species globally. As humans have become ever more successful and ingenious at harnessing energy, our scope grows extraterrestrial: there are plans to colonize the Moon and Mars. Human activity has extended the reach and influence of Earth's biosphere to other worlds light-years away. Meanwhile, the impact of humanity's burning of ancient fossil life has altered the energy balance of this entire planet. In recent decades, humanity's influence on the biosphere is shifting Earth systems, altering the biology, chemistry and physics of the planet. The destabilizing impact of humanity's energy exploits on Earth's unique biosphere risks the survival of multiple ecosystems, and the future of our own species. The biosphere is evolving towards a new state of equilibrium some centuries hence. Yet, even as this momentous shift occurs, humanity is on the cusp of self-regulating: changing energy source, altering certain planetary activities and perhaps geoengineering the climate. A new biosphere equilibrium could be reached sooner than expected.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Chance and purpose in the evolution of biospheres'.
References: Science. 2016 Jan 8;351(6269):aad2622. (PMID: 26744408)
Nature. 2010 Oct 21;467(7318):912-3. (PMID: 20962823)
Nature. 2024 Aug;632(8027):980-984. (PMID: 39187674)
PLoS Biol. 2011 Aug;9(8):e1001127. (PMID: 21886479)
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 18;110(25):10324-9. (PMID: 23733940)
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Anthropocene; biodiversity; biosphere; climate change; cultural evolution; energy
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20250807 Date Completed: 20250807 Latest Revision: 20260813
Update Code: 20260813
PubMed Central ID: PMC12329435
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2024.0104
PMID: 40770985
Database: MEDLINE
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/fiv2js/result?sid=EBSCO:cmedm&genre=article&issn=14712970&ISBN=&volume=380&issue=1931&date=20250807&spage=20240104&pages=20240104&title=Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences&atitle=Planetary%20system%20evolution%20and%20the%20extended%20biosphere%3A%20we%20humans%20are%20products%20of%20Earth%27s%20biosphere%3B%20we%20have%20become%20its%20co-creators%3B%20can%20we%20be%20its%20regulators%3F&aulast=Vince%20G&id=DOI:10.1098/rstb.2024.0104
    Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (ns324271)
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text Finder
    MouseOverText: Full Text Finder
Header DbId: cmedm
DbLabel: MEDLINE
An: 40770985
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Planetary system evolution and the extended biosphere: we humans are products of Earth's biosphere; we have become its co-creators; can we be its regulators?
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Vince+G%22">Vince G</searchLink>; UCL, London, UK.
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%227503623%22">Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences</searchLink> [Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci] 2025 Aug 07; Vol. 380 (1931), pp. 20240104. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2025 Aug 07.
– Name: TypePub
  Label: Publication Type
  Group: TypPub
  Data: Journal Article; Review
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Journal Info
  Group: Src
  Data: <i>Publisher: </i><searchLink fieldCode="PB" term="%22Royal+Society%22">Royal Society </searchLink><i>Country of Publication: </i>England <i>NLM ID: </i>7503623 <i>Publication Model: </i>Print-Electronic <i>Cited Medium: </i>Internet <i>ISSN: </i>1471-2970 (Electronic) <i>Linking ISSN: </i><searchLink fieldCode="IS" term="%2209628436%22">09628436 </searchLink><i>NLM ISO Abbreviation: </i>Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci <i>Subsets: </i>MEDLINE
– Name: PublisherInfo
  Label: Imprint Name(s)
  Group: PubInfo
  Data: <i>Original Publication</i>: London : Royal Society, 1934-
– Name: SubjectMESH
  Label: MeSH Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Earth%2C+Planet%22">Earth, Planet*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Ecosystem%22">Ecosystem*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Evolution%2C+Planetary%22">Evolution, Planetary*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Biological+Evolution%22">Biological Evolution*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Humans%22">Humans</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The energy balance of a planet is set by the sunlight entering and the heat radiating back from it. Earth's biosphere adds new complexity as energy flows through global marine and terrestrial ecosystems altering physical and chemical systems, including global climate. Energy is essential for life, and the main constraint on abundance and productivity is the amount of energy an organism can harvest. When the first lifeforms evolved fire-making culture-there is evidence in our hominin ancestors, some 1 million years ago-it sparked a novel form of energy relationship: deliberate combustion, which would change the planet. The innate drive to harvest ever more energy changed the evolution of our species and transformed the world's environments. Humans became the dominant species globally. As humans have become ever more successful and ingenious at harnessing energy, our scope grows extraterrestrial: there are plans to colonize the Moon and Mars. Human activity has extended the reach and influence of Earth's biosphere to other worlds light-years away. Meanwhile, the impact of humanity's burning of ancient fossil life has altered the energy balance of this entire planet. In recent decades, humanity's influence on the biosphere is shifting Earth systems, altering the biology, chemistry and physics of the planet. The destabilizing impact of humanity's energy exploits on Earth's unique biosphere risks the survival of multiple ecosystems, and the future of our own species. The biosphere is evolving towards a new state of equilibrium some centuries hence. Yet, even as this momentous shift occurs, humanity is on the cusp of self-regulating: changing energy source, altering certain planetary activities and perhaps geoengineering the climate. A new biosphere equilibrium could be reached sooner than expected.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Chance and purpose in the evolution of biospheres'.
– Name: Ref
  Label: References
  Group: RefInfo
  Data: Science. 2016 Jan 8;351(6269):aad2622. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2226744408%22">26744408)</searchLink><br />Nature. 2010 Oct 21;467(7318):912-3. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2220962823%22">20962823)</searchLink><br />Nature. 2024 Aug;632(8027):980-984. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2239187674%22">39187674)</searchLink><br />PLoS Biol. 2011 Aug;9(8):e1001127. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2221886479%22">21886479)</searchLink><br />Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 18;110(25):10324-9. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2223733940%22">23733940)</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectMinor
  Label: Contributed Indexing
  Group:
  Data: <i>Keywords: </i>Anthropocene; biodiversity; biosphere; climate change; cultural evolution; energy
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date(s)
  Group: Date
  Data: <i>Date Created: </i>20250807 <i>Date Completed: </i>20250807 <i>Latest Revision: </i>20260813
– Name: DateUpdate
  Label: Update Code
  Group: Date
  Data: 20260813
– Name: PubmedCentralID
  Label: PubMed Central ID
  Group: ID
  Data: PMC12329435
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1098/rstb.2024.0104
– Name: AN
  Label: PMID
  Group: ID
  Data: 40770985
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=cmedm&AN=40770985
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1098/rstb.2024.0104
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        StartPage: 20240104
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Humans
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Earth, Planet
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecosystem
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Evolution, Planetary
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biological Evolution
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Planetary system evolution and the extended biosphere: we humans are products of Earth's biosphere; we have become its co-creators; can we be its regulators?
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Vince G
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 07
              M: 08
              Text: 2025 Aug 07
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1471-2970
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 380
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1931
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
              Type: main
ResultId 1