Iron toxicity for cyanobacteria delayed oxygen accumulation in early Earth's atmosphere
Monday, January 5, 2015 - 19:30
in Earth & Climate
Geomicrobiologists say that the first oxygen-producing bacteria were poisoned by abundant iron in ancient oceans. Three billion years ago, Earth's atmosphere contained less than 0.0001 percent oxygen. Today's atmosphere has around 20 percent oxygen -- and that is due to the work of tiny microorganisms in Earth's primeval oceans.