Life Developed 3.6 Billion Years Ago - Then Evolution Got Stuck In Slime
Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 23:30
in Paleontology & Archaeology
The first life developed in ancient oceans some 3.6 billion years ago, but then nothing much happened. For a billion years, we remained pretty much a layer of slime. Then 550 million years ago, evolution came roaring back and here we are today. So what was the hold-up during a billion boring years? According to University of Tasmania geologist Professor Ross Large and colleagues, the key was a lack of oxygen and nutrient elements, which placed evolution in a precarious position. "During that billion years, oxygen levels declined and the oceans were losing the ingredients needed for life to develop into more complex organisms." read more