Oxygen-free early oceans likely delayed rise of life on planet
Monday, January 10, 2011 - 16:07
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Geologists have found chemical evidence in 2.6-billion-year-old rocks that indicates that Earth's ancient oceans were oxygen-free and contained abundant hydrogen sulfide in some areas. The researchers are the first to show that ample hydrogen sulfide in the ocean was possible this early in Earth's history. The finding adds to growing evidence showing that ancient ocean chemistry was far more complex than previously imagined and likely influenced life's evolution on Earth in unexpected ways.