How was life on our planet born and according to what laws? What led to the formation of multicellular organisms? How do mutations that lead to changes in life forms arise and what are the causes? Sociological studies show that in search of answers to these cornerstone questions, people today turn less and less to the data of science, preferring to be content with the superficial and often incorrect explanations offered by television and the yellow press. The book of the doctor of biological sciences, the 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 an exciting account of what is happening at the forefront of biological science today, and at the same time a serious attempt to generalize and systematize the knowledge that humanity has accumulated in this area. At the same time, Alexander Markov's fascinating and popular book contains information that may interest not only the general reader, but also specialists.