Krause, AJ, Mills, BJW orcid.org/0000-0002-9141-0931, Merdith, AS orcid.org/0000-0002-7564-8149 et al. (2 more authors) (2022) Extreme variability in atmospheric oxygen levels in the late Precambrian. Science Advances, 8 (41). ISSN 2375-2548
Abstract
Mapping the history of atmospheric O₂ during the late Precambrian is vital for evaluating potential links to animal evolution. Ancient O₂ levels are often inferred from geochemical analyses of marine sediments, leading to the assumption that the Earth experienced a stepwise increase in atmospheric O₂ during the Neoproterozoic. However, the nature of this hypothesized oxygenation event remains unknown, with suggestions of a more dynamic O₂ history in the oceans and major uncertainty over any direct connection between the marine realm and atmospheric O₂. Here, we present a continuous quantitative reconstruction of atmospheric O₂ over the past 1.5 billion years using an isotope mass balance approach that combines bulk geochemistry and tectonic recycling rate calculations. We predict that atmospheric O₂ levels during the Neoproterozoic oscillated between ~1 and ~50% of the present atmospheric level. We conclude that there was no simple unidirectional rise in atmospheric O₂ during the Neoproterozoic, and the first animals evolved against a backdrop of extreme O₂ variability.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY). |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Earth Surface Science Institute (ESSI) (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Inst for Climate & Atmos Science (ICAS) (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) NE/R010129/1 NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) NE/S009663/1 EU - European Union 893615 Leverhulme Trust Not Known Royal Society WM150108 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 25 Aug 2022 11:57 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 23:05 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
Identification Number: | 10.1126/sciadv.abm8191 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:190271 |