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Reassessing the first appearance of eukaryotes and cyanobacteria

Author

Listed:
  • Birger Rasmussen

    (Curtin University of Technology, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia)

  • Ian R. Fletcher

    (Curtin University of Technology, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia)

  • Jochen J. Brocks

    (The Research School of Earth Sciences,
    Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia)

  • Matt R. Kilburn

    (Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia)

Abstract

The advent of photosynthesis: postponing the event The oldest widely accepted evidence for oxygenic photosynthesis on Earth comes from hydro-carbon biomarkers extracted from 2.7-billion-year-old shales in the Pilbara Craton of Australia, thought to be evidence of eukaryotes and photosynthetic cyanobacteria. This early date has caused controversy because of the long delay between this earliest appearance of oxygen-producing cyanobacteria and the 'great oxidation event' that caused the rise of atmospheric oxygen some 300 million years later. New work by Rasmussen et al. shows that the organic biomarkers are not of Archaean age and must have entered the rocks later, some time after about 2.2 billion years ago. The earliest unambiguous fossil evidence for eukaryotes and cyanobacteria thus reverts to 1.78–1.68 and 2.15 billion years, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Birger Rasmussen & Ian R. Fletcher & Jochen J. Brocks & Matt R. Kilburn, 2008. "Reassessing the first appearance of eukaryotes and cyanobacteria," Nature, Nature, vol. 455(7216), pages 1101-1104, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:455:y:2008:i:7216:d:10.1038_nature07381
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07381
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    Cited by:

    1. Dorothy Z. Oehler & Sherry L. Cady, 2014. "Biogenicity and Syngeneity of Organic Matter in Ancient Sedimentary Rocks: Recent Advances in the Search for Evidence of Past Life," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Norma Browne & Paz Otero & Patrick Murray & Sushanta Kumar Saha, 2023. "Rapid Screening for Mycosporine-like Amino Acids (MAAs) of Irish Marine Cyanobacteria and Their Antioxidant Potential," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, February.

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