Bacteria Used Oxygen Long Before Photosynthesis, Study Finds
2025-04-19
A new study published in Science uses molecular clock analysis and geochemical data to reconstruct a detailed timeline of bacterial evolution and oxygen adaptation. The research reveals that some bacteria could utilize trace amounts of oxygen long before the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), approximately 2.3 billion years ago, and even before the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. This challenges our understanding of early life evolution and highlights the crucial role oxygen played in shaping bacterial evolution.
(phys.org)
Tech
molecular clock