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Devonian rise in atmospheric oxygen correlated to the radiations of terrestrial plants and large predatory fish

Dahl, Tais W ; Hammarlund, Emma U LU ; Anbar, Ariel D. ; Bond, David P G ; Gill, Benjamin C ; Gordon, Gwyneth W ; Knoll, Andrew H ; Nielsen, Arne T. ; Schovsbo, Niels H and Canfield, Donald E (2010) In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107(42). p.5-17911
Abstract

The evolution of Earth's biota is intimately linked to the oxygenation of the oceans and atmosphere. We use the isotopic composition and concentration of molybdenum (Mo) in sedimentary rocks to explore this relationship. Our results indicate two episodes of global ocean oxygenation. The first coincides with the emergence of the Ediacaran fauna, including large, motile bilaterian animals, ca. 550-560 million year ago (Ma), reinforcing previous geochemical indications that Earth surface oxygenation facilitated this radiation. The second, perhaps larger, oxygenation took place around 400 Ma, well after the initial rise of animals and, therefore, suggesting that early metazoans evolved in a relatively low oxygen environment. This later... (More)

The evolution of Earth's biota is intimately linked to the oxygenation of the oceans and atmosphere. We use the isotopic composition and concentration of molybdenum (Mo) in sedimentary rocks to explore this relationship. Our results indicate two episodes of global ocean oxygenation. The first coincides with the emergence of the Ediacaran fauna, including large, motile bilaterian animals, ca. 550-560 million year ago (Ma), reinforcing previous geochemical indications that Earth surface oxygenation facilitated this radiation. The second, perhaps larger, oxygenation took place around 400 Ma, well after the initial rise of animals and, therefore, suggesting that early metazoans evolved in a relatively low oxygen environment. This later oxygenation correlates with the diversification of vascular plants, which likely contributed to increased oxygenation through the enhanced burial of organic carbon in sediments. It also correlates with a pronounced radiation of large predatory fish, animals with high oxygen demand. We thereby couple the redox history of the atmosphere and oceans to major events in animal evolution.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Animals, Atmosphere, Fishes, Oxygen, Plants, Predatory Behavior, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
volume
107
issue
42
pages
5 - 17911
publisher
National Academy of Sciences
external identifiers
  • scopus:78149267036
  • pmid:20884852
ISSN
1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1011287107
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
03709b53-463e-4ad9-b283-7c2d0b237aa1
date added to LUP
2017-05-17 11:21:32
date last changed
2024-04-14 11:29:35
@article{03709b53-463e-4ad9-b283-7c2d0b237aa1,
  abstract     = {{<p>The evolution of Earth's biota is intimately linked to the oxygenation of the oceans and atmosphere. We use the isotopic composition and concentration of molybdenum (Mo) in sedimentary rocks to explore this relationship. Our results indicate two episodes of global ocean oxygenation. The first coincides with the emergence of the Ediacaran fauna, including large, motile bilaterian animals, ca. 550-560 million year ago (Ma), reinforcing previous geochemical indications that Earth surface oxygenation facilitated this radiation. The second, perhaps larger, oxygenation took place around 400 Ma, well after the initial rise of animals and, therefore, suggesting that early metazoans evolved in a relatively low oxygen environment. This later oxygenation correlates with the diversification of vascular plants, which likely contributed to increased oxygenation through the enhanced burial of organic carbon in sediments. It also correlates with a pronounced radiation of large predatory fish, animals with high oxygen demand. We thereby couple the redox history of the atmosphere and oceans to major events in animal evolution.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dahl, Tais W and Hammarlund, Emma U and Anbar, Ariel D. and Bond, David P G and Gill, Benjamin C and Gordon, Gwyneth W and Knoll, Andrew H and Nielsen, Arne T. and Schovsbo, Niels H and Canfield, Donald E}},
  issn         = {{1091-6490}},
  keywords     = {{Animals; Atmosphere; Fishes; Oxygen; Plants; Predatory Behavior; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{42}},
  pages        = {{5--17911}},
  publisher    = {{National Academy of Sciences}},
  series       = {{Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}},
  title        = {{Devonian rise in atmospheric oxygen correlated to the radiations of terrestrial plants and large predatory fish}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011287107}},
  doi          = {{10.1073/pnas.1011287107}},
  volume       = {{107}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}