| Title | Did high temperature rather than low O2 hinder the evolution of eukaryotes in the Precambrian? |
| Authors | Zhang, Fenglian Wang, Huajian Ye, Yuntao Liu, Yuke Lyu, Yitong Deng, Yan Lyu, Dan Wang, Xiaomei Wu, Huaichun Deng, Shenghui Zhang, Shuichang |
| Affiliation | China Univ Geosci Beijing, Sch Ocean Sci, Beijing 100083, Peoples R China Res Inst Petr Explorat & Dev, Beijing 100083, Peoples R China Peking Univ, Sch Earth & Space Sci, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China |
| Keywords | ORGANIC-WALLED MICROFOSSILS VASE-SHAPED MICROFOSSILS NORTH CHINA CRATON EDIACARAN-CAMBRIAN TRANSITION OXYGEN-ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN ACANTHOMORPHIC ACRITARCHS DOUSHANTUO FORMATION MOLECULAR FOSSILS ANIMAL EMBRYOS |
| Issue Date | 15-Aug-2022 |
| Publisher | PRECAMBRIAN RESEARCH |
| Abstract | The emergence and diversity of eukaryotes that occurred in the Proterozoic Eon (2.5-0.541 Ga) are the most important parts of life's evolution on the Earth. However, the critical time and key environmental factor(s) are still controversial. Herein, we systematically compiled the reported fossils and convinced biomarkers of Proterozoic eukaryotes. The Proterozoic eukaryotic evolutionary timeline was proposed to be divided into four stages: (1) ambiguous origin (2.3-1.8 Ga), (2) slow evolution (1.8-0.8 Ga), (3) diversity fluctuation (0.8-0.635 Ga), and (4) first radiation (0.635-0.541 Ga). As aerobic organisms, the emergence and evolution of eukaryotes have been proposed to be hindered by low oxygen levels during the Proterozoic Eon. However, increasing evidence suggests that the Proterozoic oxygen content might have been higher than 1% PAL (present atmospheric level) since 2.3 Ga, allowing eukaryotes, including early animals, to survive. The Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) did not wake up eukaryotes. The Mesoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (MOE) did not accelerate the evolution of eukaryotes. The first and rapid radiation of eukaryotes after the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (NOE) and global glaciations acted like the opening of Pandora's box. Hence atmospheric oxygen alone cannot be invoked as the only control on the evolution of eukaryotes. Instead, we suggest that oceanic temperature may have been an important environmental factor that limited eukaryotic physiology until the end-Proterozoic. |
| URI | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/648681 |
| ISSN | 0301-9268 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106755 |
| Indexed | SCI(E) |
| Appears in Collections: | 地球与空间科学学院 |
