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Biomarker evidence for green and purple sulphur bacteria in a stratified Palaeoproterozoic sea

Author

Listed:
  • Jochen J. Brocks

    (The Australian National University)

  • Gordon D. Love

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Roger E. Summons

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Macquarie University)

  • Andrew H. Knoll

    (Harvard University)

  • Graham A. Logan

    (Geoscience Australia)

  • Stephen A. Bowden

    (University of Aberdeen)

Abstract

Purple sulphur eaters Rising oxygen levels in the Earth's early atmosphere marked the end of a 2.5-billion-year period dominated by oceans with low levels of oxygen. But geochemical evidence suggests that for the following billion years the oceans remained largely devoid of oxygen. The discovery of molecular fossils (hydrocarbon biomarkers) in 1.6-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks from a marine basin in northern Australia now offers insights into the marine ecosystem at the time. The biomarkers record an anoxic and sulphidic world hostile to to many forms of life but supporting blooms of sulphide-breathing green and purple bacteria.

Suggested Citation

  • Jochen J. Brocks & Gordon D. Love & Roger E. Summons & Andrew H. Knoll & Graham A. Logan & Stephen A. Bowden, 2005. "Biomarker evidence for green and purple sulphur bacteria in a stratified Palaeoproterozoic sea," Nature, Nature, vol. 437(7060), pages 866-870, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:437:y:2005:i:7060:d:10.1038_nature04068
    DOI: 10.1038/nature04068
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    Cited by:

    1. Malory O. Brown & Babatunde O. Olagunju & José-Luis Giner & Paula V. Welander, 2023. "Sterol methyltransferases in uncultured bacteria complicate eukaryotic biomarker interpretations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Jikun Liu & Litao Wang & Fei Chen & Wenya Hu & Chenglong Dong & Yinghao Wang & Yehua Han, 2023. "Molecular Characterization of Hydrocarbons in Petroleum by Ultrahigh-Resolution Mass Spectrometry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-16, May.

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