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Earth's Wobble Fueled Life's Cambrian Explosion
26 Nov
Summary
- Earth's orbital changes may have driven oxygen fluctuations.
- These fluctuations fueled the Cambrian explosion over 500 million years ago.
- Nutrient release from weathering, triggered by orbital shifts, boosted photosynthesis.
The extraordinary evolutionary leap known as the Cambrian explosion, which occurred over 500 million years ago, may have been orchestrated by subtle changes in Earth's orbit. This pivotal period transformed simple life into diverse, complex organisms, giving rise to creatures like the opabinia and wiwaxia.
New research utilizing climate modeling indicates that periodic shifts in Earth's orbit, occurring every two to three million years, synchronized with fluctuations in atmospheric and oceanic oxygen levels. These orbital variations altered the amount of solar energy reaching our planet, prompting climatic changes.
The resulting changes in land weathering, particularly at higher latitudes, released bursts of nutrients into the oceans. This nutrient influx fueled photosynthesis, driving up oxygen levels and consequently powering the rapid evolutionary diversification that characterized the Cambrian period.
