Sufficient oxygen for animal respiration 1,400 million years ago

Shuichang Zhang; Xiaomei Wang; Huajian Wang; Christian J. Bjerrum; Emma U. Hammarlund; Maria Mafalda Canas Portela Costa; James Connelly; Baomin Zhang; Jin Su; Donald E Canfield

doi:10.1073/pnas.1523449113

Sufficient oxygen for animal respiration 1,400 million years ago

Shuichang Zhang, Xiaomei Wang, Huajian Wang, Christian J. Bjerrum, Emma U. Hammarlund, Maria Mafalda Canas Portela Costa, James Connelly, Baomin Zhang, Jin Su, Donald E Canfield

Geology

152 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Mesoproterozoic Eon [1,600-1,000 million years ago (Ma)] is emerging as a key interval in Earth history, with a unique geochemical history that might have influenced the course of biological evolution on Earth. Indeed, although this time interval is rather poorly understood, recent chromium isotope results suggest that atmospheric oxygen levels were <0.1% of present levels, sufficiently low to have inhibited the evolution of animal life. In contrast, using a different approach, we explore the distribution and enrichments of redox-sensitive trace metals in the 1,400 Ma sediments of Unit 3 of the Xiamaling Formation, North China Block. Patterns of trace metal enrichments reveal oxygenated bottom waters during deposition of the sediments, and biomarker results demonstrate the presence of green sulfur bacteria in the water column. Thus, we document an ancient oxygen minimum zone. We develop a simple, yet comprehensive, model of marine carbon-oxygen cycle dynamics to show that our geochemical results are consistent with atmospheric oxygen levels >4% of present-day levels. Therefore, in contrast to previous suggestions, we show that there was sufficient oxygen to fuel animal respiration long before the evolution of animals themselves.

Original language	English
Journal	National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings
Volume	113
Issue number	7
Pages (from-to)	1731-1736
Number of pages	6
ISSN	0027-8424
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1523449113
Publication status	Published - 16 Feb 2016

Keywords

Animals
Atmosphere
Biological Evolution
Oxygen
Respiration
Water
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Sufficient oxygen for animal respiration 1,400 million years ago",

abstract = "The Mesoproterozoic Eon [1,600-1,000 million years ago (Ma)] is emerging as a key interval in Earth history, with a unique geochemical history that might have influenced the course of biological evolution on Earth. Indeed, although this time interval is rather poorly understood, recent chromium isotope results suggest that atmospheric oxygen levels were <0.1% of present levels, sufficiently low to have inhibited the evolution of animal life. In contrast, using a different approach, we explore the distribution and enrichments of redox-sensitive trace metals in the 1,400 Ma sediments of Unit 3 of the Xiamaling Formation, North China Block. Patterns of trace metal enrichments reveal oxygenated bottom waters during deposition of the sediments, and biomarker results demonstrate the presence of green sulfur bacteria in the water column. Thus, we document an ancient oxygen minimum zone. We develop a simple, yet comprehensive, model of marine carbon-oxygen cycle dynamics to show that our geochemical results are consistent with atmospheric oxygen levels >4% of present-day levels. Therefore, in contrast to previous suggestions, we show that there was sufficient oxygen to fuel animal respiration long before the evolution of animals themselves.",

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author = "Shuichang Zhang and Xiaomei Wang and Huajian Wang and Bjerrum, {Christian J.} and Hammarlund, {Emma U.} and {Canas Portela Costa}, {Maria Mafalda} and James Connelly and Baomin Zhang and Jin Su and Canfield, {Donald E}",

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AU - Zhang, Shuichang

AU - Wang, Xiaomei

AU - Wang, Huajian

AU - Bjerrum, Christian J.

AU - Hammarlund, Emma U.

AU - Canas Portela Costa, Maria Mafalda

AU - Connelly, James

AU - Zhang, Baomin

AU - Su, Jin

AU - Canfield, Donald E

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Y1 - 2016/2/16

N2 - The Mesoproterozoic Eon [1,600-1,000 million years ago (Ma)] is emerging as a key interval in Earth history, with a unique geochemical history that might have influenced the course of biological evolution on Earth. Indeed, although this time interval is rather poorly understood, recent chromium isotope results suggest that atmospheric oxygen levels were <0.1% of present levels, sufficiently low to have inhibited the evolution of animal life. In contrast, using a different approach, we explore the distribution and enrichments of redox-sensitive trace metals in the 1,400 Ma sediments of Unit 3 of the Xiamaling Formation, North China Block. Patterns of trace metal enrichments reveal oxygenated bottom waters during deposition of the sediments, and biomarker results demonstrate the presence of green sulfur bacteria in the water column. Thus, we document an ancient oxygen minimum zone. We develop a simple, yet comprehensive, model of marine carbon-oxygen cycle dynamics to show that our geochemical results are consistent with atmospheric oxygen levels >4% of present-day levels. Therefore, in contrast to previous suggestions, we show that there was sufficient oxygen to fuel animal respiration long before the evolution of animals themselves.

AB - The Mesoproterozoic Eon [1,600-1,000 million years ago (Ma)] is emerging as a key interval in Earth history, with a unique geochemical history that might have influenced the course of biological evolution on Earth. Indeed, although this time interval is rather poorly understood, recent chromium isotope results suggest that atmospheric oxygen levels were <0.1% of present levels, sufficiently low to have inhibited the evolution of animal life. In contrast, using a different approach, we explore the distribution and enrichments of redox-sensitive trace metals in the 1,400 Ma sediments of Unit 3 of the Xiamaling Formation, North China Block. Patterns of trace metal enrichments reveal oxygenated bottom waters during deposition of the sediments, and biomarker results demonstrate the presence of green sulfur bacteria in the water column. Thus, we document an ancient oxygen minimum zone. We develop a simple, yet comprehensive, model of marine carbon-oxygen cycle dynamics to show that our geochemical results are consistent with atmospheric oxygen levels >4% of present-day levels. Therefore, in contrast to previous suggestions, we show that there was sufficient oxygen to fuel animal respiration long before the evolution of animals themselves.

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KW - Atmosphere

KW - Biological Evolution

KW - Oxygen

KW - Respiration

KW - Water

KW - Journal Article

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DO - 10.1073/pnas.1523449113

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Sufficient oxygen for animal respiration 1,400 million years ago

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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