Proterozoic Ocean Chemistry and Evolution: A Bioinorganic Bridge?

A. D. Anbar; A. H. Knoll

doi:10.1126/science.1069651

journal article Aug 16, 2002

Proterozoic Ocean Chemistry and Evolution: A Bioinorganic Bridge?

A. D. Anbar A. H. Knoll

Science Vol. 297 No. 5584 pp. 1137-1142 · American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

View at Publisher Save 10.1126/science.1069651

Abstract

Recent data imply that for much of the Proterozoic Eon (2500 to 543 million years ago), Earth's oceans were moderately oxic at the surface and sulfidic at depth. Under these conditions, biologically important trace metals would have been scarce in most marine environments, potentially restricting the nitrogen cycle, affecting primary productivity, and limiting the ecological distribution of eukaryotic algae. Oceanic redox conditions and their bioinorganic consequences may thus help to explain observed patterns of Proterozoic evolution.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

150

[1]

10.2475/ajs.272.6.537

[2]

10.2113/gsecongeo.68.7.1169

[3]

Geochemical evidence of a hydrothermal source for Fe in BIFs is presented in (123 124).

[4]

Holland H. D., Beukes N. J., Am. J. Sci. 290A, 1 (1990). 10.2475/ajs.290.1.1

[5]

10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0867:ciatro>2.3.co;2

[6]

10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0115:rsotaa>2.3.co;2

[7]

10.1126/science.289.5480.756

[8]

10.1038/24839

[9]

The Archean Proterozoic and Phanerozoic Eons span the intervals 3800 to 2500 Ma 2500 to 543 Ma and 543 to 0 Ma respectively. The Paleoproterozoic Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic Eras span the intervals 2500 to 1600 Ma 1600 to 1000 Ma and 1000 to 543 Ma respectively. Here “mid-Proterozoic” refers to the interval 1800 to 1250 Ma.

[10]

10.1038/321832a0

[11]

10.1038/359605a0

[12]

10.1038/382127a0

[13]

10.1073/pnas.94.13.6600

[14]

10.1080/03115518208565415

[15]

A. H. Knoll in Origin and Early Evolution of the Metazoa J. H. Lipps P. W. Signor Eds. (Plenum New York 1992) pp. 53–84. 10.1007/978-1-4899-2427-8_3

[16]

Anoxic conditions amenable to BSR occurred at least locally and sporadically since the Archean as they do today in the waters of restricted ocean basins and in marine sediments.

[17]

For a review of relevant S isotope systematics see (125).

[18]

Mass-dependent S isotope fractionation is commonly expressed as δ 34 S = ‰ deviation in 34 S/ 32 S from the Canyon Diablo Troilite (CDT) standard = [( 34 S/ 32 S) sample /( 34 S/ 32 S) CDT – 1] × 1000.

[19]

10.1126/science.11540246

[20]

10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029<0555:ifbsrn>2.0.co;2

[21]

δ 34 S depletion of H 2 S relative to SO 4 2– in Black Sea waters is >45‰ [(19) and references therein] hence 34 S depletion by S 0 disproportionation does not require a completely oxic water column. However in redox-stratified oceans with low-H 2 S surface waters anoxygenic photosynthesis which produces little S isotope fractionation while converting H 2 S to SO 4 2– may dominate S cycling in the photic zone. Therefore S isotope fractionation of >45‰ suggests O 2 penetration at least below the photic zone [see (12) and references therein].

[22]

Precambrian S isotope data and interpretations are reviewed by Canfield and colleagues in (8) and (125); see also (126 127).

[23]

10.1038/35065071

[24]

A different interpretation is given in (128 129). But see also a rebuttal in (130).

[25]

The extent of S isotope fractionation by biochemical effects may be restricted by reservoir effects whereby preferential loss of 32 S from the SO 4 2– reservoir progressively enriches the reservoir in 34 S. H 2 S subsequently produced is enriched in 34 S compared to the maximum depletion possible when SO 4 2– is abundant.

[26]

10.2475/ajs.296.7.818

[27]

10.1016/s0016-7037(97)00174-9

[28]

10.1306/070300710286

[29]

10.1016/s0037-0738(01)00125-7

[30]

10.2475/ajs.302.2.81

[31]

T. W. Lyons J. P. Werne D. J. Hollander R. W. Murray Chem. Geol. in press.

[32]

10.1016/s0301-9268(01)00157-7

[33]

10.1016/s0016-7037(99)00323-3

[34]

10.1016/s0301-9268(01)00161-9

[35]

10.1016/0009-2541(80)90047-9

[36]

M. T. Hurtgen M. A. Arthur N. S. Suits A. J. Kaufman Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. in press.

[37]

Mass-dependent C isotope fractionation is commonly expressed as δ 13 C = ‰ deviation in 13 C/ 12 C from the Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB) standard = [( 13 C/ 12 C) sample /( 13 C/ 12 C) PDB – 1] × 1000.

[38]

10.1016/s0009-2541(99)00083-2

[39]

R. M. Ganels F. T. MacKenzie Evolution of Sedimentary Rocks (Norton New York 1971) pp. 119–131.

[40]

10.1016/0301-9268(94)00070-8

[41]

10.1073/pnas.97.4.1400

[42]

A. Bekker et al. Am. J. Sci. 301 261 (2001). 10.2475/ajs.301.3.261

[43]

10.1016/0009-2541(95)00049-r

[44]

10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0555:abyoes>2.3.co;2

[45]

10.1139/e98-100

[46]

10.2475/ajs.295.7.823

[47]

J. K. Bartley et al. Precambrian Res. 111 165 (2001). 10.1016/s0301-9268(01)00160-7

[48]

10.1130/0016-7606(2002)114<0080:pgprot>2.0.co;2

[49]

10.1038/417159a

[50]

10.1029/94pa01455

Showing 50 of 150 references

Cited By

973

Trace metals enrichments in a pristine hypersaline lagoon as a biosignature of microbial mats applied to modern and ancient sedimentary environments

Jair Carlos Ceja-González, Jacob Alberto Valdivieso-Ojeda · 2026

Chemical Geology

Review: WRKY transcription factors: Understanding the functional divergence

Hui Song, Yunpeng Cao · 2023

Plant Science

Biotic vs abiotic origin of unusual features from Mesoproterozoic of Vindhyan Supergroup, India

Adrita Choudhuri, Abderrazak El Albani · 2023

Annales de Paléontologie

Mineral-Bound Trace Metals as Cofactors for Anaerobic Biological Nitrogen Fixation

Yizhi Sheng, Oliver Baars · 2023

Environmental Science & Technol...

Quantifying structural relationships of metal-binding sites suggests origins of biological electron transfer

Yana Bromberg, Ariel A. Aptekmann · 2022

Science Advances

Biological nitrogen fixation by alternative nitrogenases in terrestrial ecosystems: a review

J. P. Bellenger, R. Darnajoux · 2020

Biogeochemistry

A re-assessment of elemental proxies for paleoredox analysis

Thomas J. Algeo, Jiangsi Liu · 2020

Chemical Geology

Age Boundaries and Stratigraphic Importance of Microbiota of the Lower Riphean Kaltasy Formation of the Volga–Uralia Area

V. N. Sergeev, M. A. Semikhatov · 2019

Stratigraphy and Geological Correla...

How to resurrect ancestral proteins as proxies for ancient biogeochemistry

Amanda K. Garcia, Betül Kaçar · 2019

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Pyrite trace-element and sulfur isotope geochemistry of paleo-mesoproterozoic McArthur Basin: Proxy for oxidative weathering

Indrani Mukherjee, Ross R. Large · 2019

American Mineralogist

Modular origins of biological electron transfer chains

Hagai Raanan, Douglas H. Pike · 2018

Proceedings of the National Academy...

What the ~1.4 Ga Xiamaling Formation can and cannot tell us about the mid‐Proterozoic ocean

C. W. Diamond, N. J. Planavsky · 2018

Geobiology

The biostratigraphic conundrum of Siberia: Do true Tonian–Cryogenian microfossils occur in Mesoproterozoic rocks?

Vladimir N. Sergeev, Natalya G. Vorob'eva · 2017

Precambrian Research

Molybdenum in natural waters: A review of occurrence, distributions and controls

Pauline L. Smedley, David G. Kinniburgh · 2017

Applied Geochemistry

C, O, Sr and Nd isotope systematics of carbonates of Papaghni sub-basin, Andhra Pradesh, India: Implications for genesis of carbonate-hosted stratiform uranium mineralisation and geodynamic evolution of the Cuddapah basin

Nurul Absar, B.M. Nizamudheen · 2016

Lithos

Delayed euxinia in Paleoproterozoic intracontinental seas: Vital havens for the evolution of eukaryotes?

Samuel C. Spinks, Susanne Schmid · 2016

Precambrian Research

Pyrite trace element chemistry of the Velkerri Formation, Roper Group, McArthur Basin: Evidence for atmospheric oxygenation during the Boring Billion

Indrani Mukherjee, Ross R. Large · 2016

Precambrian Research

Uncertainty in the Timing of Origin of Animals and the Limits of Precision in Molecular Timescales

Mario dos Reis, Yuttapong Thawornwattana · 2015

Current Biology

The chemical conditions of the late Archean Hamersley basin inferred from whole rock and pyrite geochemistry with Δ33S and δ34S isotope analyses

Daniel D. Gregory, Ross R. Large · 2015

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Isotopic evidence for biological nitrogen fixation by molybdenum-nitrogenase from 3.2 Gyr

Eva E. Stüeken, Roger Buick · 2015

Nature

Metrics

973

Citations

150

References

Details

Published: Aug 16, 2002
Vol/Issue: 297(5584)
Pages: 1137-1142

Authors

A

A. D. Anbar

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.

A

A. H. Knoll

Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

Cite This Article

A. D. Anbar, A. H. Knoll (2002). Proterozoic Ocean Chemistry and Evolution: A Bioinorganic Bridge?. Science, 297(5584), 1137-1142. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1069651

Proterozoic Ocean Chemistry and Evolution: A Bioinorganic Bridge?

You May Also Like