A Ground Breaking Study has revealed that The early sea of land It may be that the bio may have already been in harmony with the nitrogen available with the nitrogen available, which new looks for our understanding of life -giving conditions before the oxidation event. Research, Appeared in Nature communications In February 2025Dr. Ashley Martin, of Northbariya University, was accompanied by experts from Germany, South Africa, and the UK. Analyzing 2.75 billion -year -old Strometolitis from Zimbabwe, scientists have revealed evidence of hydro thermal immunium appeals, suggesting that volcanic activity has played an important role in the early microbial ecosystem.
This discovery has highlighted biological and chemical conditions that challenges long -lasting assumptions about the limits of early life on Earth, before the rise of environmental oxygen. Can volcanic forces act as a biological catalyst, which can fuel ancient life long before oxygen -producing cynobacteria changed the planet?
Ancient nitrogen cycle and his role in early life
Playing a key role in DNA, RNA, and protein, nitrogen is essential for all well -known life. However, in the early history of the earth, nitrogen was primarily present in its passive environmental form (N₂), which cannot be used directly by biology. A transfer from the oxygen to the poor world that endorsed the desired mechanism for complex life that made bios available to nitrogen in the oceans.
The new research examined the ancient nitrogen isotopic values (δ15N) in stermotolitis, which shows the unexpected deposits of ammonium (NH₄⁺) in deep waters. It seems that the ammonium is brought to the surface by hydro thermal apleol, where it can be used through early microbial life. These results show that nitrogen fixation-a process that is already forced into oxygen ground. This is happening on a more large scale than the previously assumed.
Volcanic activity as a catalyst for early life
A key revelation from the study is the link between the firefish and the microbial ecosystem. The volcano activity was particularly severe 2.75 billion years ago, with the wide hydrogated system pumping nutrients rich in nutrients in the oceans. The team found that these processes provided a shallow marine environment to ammonium and other nutrients, which creates ideal conditions for microbial growth and potentially running biological innovations.
From Dr. Eva Stecan University of St. Andrews Explained that the recycling of hydro thermal nutrients can be a major driver of the early life, which provides energy sources long before the photo century prevails. This challenges the traditional model, which suggests that early life struggles to access essential nutrients in an anoxic (oxygen -free) world.
Great oxidation event: a slow or sudden transition?
The Great Oxidation event (GOE), which occurred 2.5 to 2.3 billion years ago, marked the first prominent height of oxygen in the earth environment. Traditionally, scientists have argued what this change has mobilized, in which theories are focused on the height of cynobacteria and oxygenic photos.
However, this study suggests that the pre -world world may not be as stable as it was once thought. Instead, oxygen pockets may already be present in the shallow waters, which can allow partial immunum oxidation. This process is usually linked to aerobic (oxygen) environment. If correct, it would mean that oxygen was being produced millions of years ago when the oxygen reached significant levels in the environment.
The implications of life beyond the earth
These results include major implications of Austro Biology, especially in search of life on Mars, Europa and Anelides. If hydro thermal activity can support life in the pre -oxygen world of the Earth, a similar volcano -powered ecosystem can be available on other planets or moons that are all present in the oceans of the Surface Sea.
Dr. Martin and his colleagues suggest that the presence of ammonium -rich hydro thermal systems can provide bio -scorch for extra life. This reinforces the idea that the volcanic environment, once considered unhealthy, can, in fact, a cavity for microbial evolution.
