A review on the origin of the different codes for translation -- Evolution of ribosomes -- Origins and early evolution of ribosomes -- Evolution of ribosomes and ribosomal proteins -- Evolution of Class II aminoacyl synthetases from the antisense of the genes for Class I -- The translation process during the evolutionary transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes -- Evolution of translational control: from archaea to eukarya -- Distribution of elongation family GTPases EF1A and EFL in basal alveolate lineages -- Evolution of mRNA structure; the eukaryotic mRNA 5´- and 3´- untranslated regions and their role in translational regulation -- How lower eukaryotes contribute on our understanding of eIF4E-dependent translation -- Evolution of functionally divergent eIF4Es and their roles in the regulation of mRNA recruitment and developmental processes -- Evolution of eIF4E and eIF4G interactions in trypanosomes -- Evolution of the functionally divergent eIF4E family members in deuterostomes -- Evolution of the eIF2alpha kinases and translational control -- Evolution and use of eIF2alpha kinases in the apicomplexans and their role in life history of the parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii -- Evolution of the TOR pathway and translational regulation -- Origin and diversification of eIF4E-binding proteins -- Evolution of the protein synthesis machinery in mitochondria -- Relationship between plant translation initiation factors and RNA viruses: An evolutionary perspective -- Evolution of miRNAs and RNA binding proteins in eukaryotes -- Evolution of silencing foci across eukaryotes -- Evolutionary conservation of the machineries coupling RNA transport with translation in eukaryotes.