Rise to modern levels of ocean oxygenation coincided with the Cambrian radiation of animals

Xi Chen, Hong-Fei Ling (), Derek Vance (), Graham A. Shields-Zhou, Maoyan Zhu, Simon W. Poulton, Lawrence M. Och, Shao-Yong Jiang, Da Li, Lorenzo Cremonese and Corey Archer
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Xi Chen: State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University
Hong-Fei Ling: State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University
Derek Vance: Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH
Graham A. Shields-Zhou: University College London
Maoyan Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Simon W. Poulton: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Lawrence M. Och: University College London
Shao-Yong Jiang: State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University
Da Li: State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University
Lorenzo Cremonese: University College London
Corey Archer: Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The early diversification of animals (∼630 Ma), and their development into both motile and macroscopic forms (∼575–565 Ma), has been linked to stepwise increases in the oxygenation of Earth’s surface environment. However, establishing such a linkage between oxygen and evolution for the later Cambrian ‘explosion' (540–520 Ma) of new, energy-sapping body plans and behaviours has proved more elusive. Here we present new molybdenum isotope data, which demonstrate that the areal extent of oxygenated bottom waters increased in step with the early Cambrian bioradiation of animals and eukaryotic phytoplankton. Modern-like oxygen levels characterized the ocean at ∼521 Ma for the first time in Earth history. This marks the first establishment of a key environmental factor in modern-like ecosystems, where animals benefit from, and also contribute to, the ‘homeostasis’ of marine redox conditions.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8142

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