First Sentence

"This monographic, two-part work is devoted to multifaceted consideration of the nature and evolutionary development of the Proterozoic biosphere and its environment, that is, of the evolution of life and the interrelated history of the atmosphere, oceans, and surficial planetary environment from the beginning of the Proterozoic Eon of geologic time, 2500 Ma ago, to the beginning of the Phanerozoic, a period spanning more than 40% of all of earth history."