Clarify the delay in the evolution of low oxygen levels

2017/02/08 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia

2.400 million years ago the High Oxygenation of the Earth's atmosphere occurred, that is, the biologically produced oxygen began to appear. However, oxygen levels were not increasing as expected, remaining low for 1.5 billion years. New research explains why. According to the models developed by researchers of the University of Exeter, after the High Oxygenation, the tectonic plates emerged sedimentary rocks and the organic matter that was there began to react with oxygen. The more oxygen it had in the atmosphere, the faster it reacted with organic matter. Consequently, as oxygen is produced it was consumed. So it was until the plants began to grow, as then the global photosynthesis doubled and the balance broke. This allowed animals to colonize the Earth and favor human evolution. The research has been published in the journal Nature Communications.