How did life on our planet originate and according to what laws did it develop? What led to the formation of multicellular organisms? How do mutations that lead to changes in life forms occur and what causes them? Sociological research shows that in search of answers to these fundamental questions, people today are increasingly turning to scientific data, preferring to be content with superficial and often incorrect explanations offered by television and the yellow press. The book by Doctor of Biological Sciences, famous paleontologist and popularizer of science Alexander Markov is an attempt to overcome the barrier of mutual misunderstanding between serious researchers and the general reader. The Birth of Complexity is both a fascinating account of what is happening today at the forefront of biological science, and at the same time, a serious attempt to summarize and systematize the knowledge accumulated by humanity in this field. The fascinating and popular book by Alexander Markov at the same time contains information that may be of interest not only to the general reader, but also to specialists.