Two oxygenation events in ancient oceans sparked spread of complex life

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The photo (field of view about 0.15 millimeter in width) is of an exceptionally preserved eukaryotic fossil from the Doushantuo Formation (635551 million years old) in South China. High-resolution geochemical data from the Doushantuo Formation indica ...
The photo (field of view about 0.15 millimeter in width) is of an exceptionally preserved eukaryotic fossil from the Doushantuo Formation (635–551 million years old) in South China. High-resolution geochemical data from the Doushantuo Formation indicate that the early diversification of eukaryotes may have coupled with episodic oxygenation of Ediacaran oceans. Photograph by Shuhai Xiao

The rise of oxygen and the oxidation of deep oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago may have had an impact on the increase and spread of the earliest complex life, including animals, according to a study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online Early Edition during the week of February 25 – 29.


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