“ What we observe contradicts the prevailing view , ” Kaarel Mänd , a Ph.D. prospect at the University of Alberta , Canada , and lead author of the report published inNature Geoscience , said in astatement . “ This will force the Earth skill community to rethink what drove the C and oxygen cycles on the early Earth . ”
What led this external team of research worker to the surprising termination was a 2 - billion - class - previous sample ofshungite – a alone carbon copy - deep aqueous rock predominantly found in Russia . cover in the rock ‘n’ roll are clues to Earth ’s conditions when it was fix . The researchers found strikingly high levels of molybdenum , uranium , and rhenium , in addition to rarified uranium isotope ratio . As Mänd notes , these are signs of a high concentration of O on Earth ’s surface .
“ These trace metals are only thought to be coarse in Earth ’s sea and sediment when atomic number 8 is abundant , ” Mänd explicate . “ These trace metallic element concentrations are unrivaled in early Earth ’s history , suggesting elevated level of atomic number 8 at the meter when the shungite was deposited . ”
However , this contradict wide accept framework of Earth ’s carbon and atomic number 8 cycles that predict a speedy diminution in O levels after the Great Oxidation Event at the prison term when the shungite was deposit . These conflicting determination suggest to the generator that the Earth remained well oxygenated for millions of years after the termination of the GOE .
This finding could have implications for our apprehension of when complex living first evolved . Eukaryotic cell , the precursor to all complex life , require high oxygen degree to thrive . Therefore , as this study proposes , the existence of a farsighted well - oxygenated early Earth suggest complex life sentence may have acquire preferably than we expected . Further research at the University of Alberta and the University of Tartu , Estonia , will canvas the delay between the initial emanation in O and the banquet of eukaryote .
