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Biological Effects of High Ultraviolet Radiation on Early Earth—a Theoretical Evaluation
Abstract
The surface of early Earth was exposed to both UVC radiation (< 280 nm) and higher doses of UVB (280-315 nm) compared with the surface of present day Earth. The degree to which this radiation environment acted as a selection pressure on organisms and biological systems has rarely been theoretically examined with respect to the biologically effective irradiances that ancient organisms would receive. Here action spectra for DNA inactivation and isolated chloroplast inhibition are used to estimate biologically effective irradiances on archean Earth. Comparisons are made with present day Earth. The theoretical estimations on the UV radiation screening required to protect DNA on archean Earth compare well with field and laboratory observations on protection strategies found in present day microbial communities. They suggest that many physical and biological methods may have been effective and would have allowed for the radiation of life even under the high UV radiation regimes of archean Earth. Such strategies would also have provided effective reduction of photoinhibition by UV radiation. The data also suggest that the UV regime on the surface of Mars is not a life limiting factor per se, although other environmental factors such as desiccation and low temperatures may contribute towards the apparent lack of a surface biota.
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In the citing paper
“However, it has been observed that wavelengths below 290 nm are most damaging to DNA, and that the Archean Earth would have experienced a higher flux of shorter-wavelength UV radiation though water and atmospheric carbon dioxide may have efficiently blocked wavelengths much below 200 nm (Cockell 1998;Ranjan and Sasselov 2016).”
From Environmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor (2018) · cites this paper as Cockell 1998
In the citing paper
“Radiation shielding can be effectively provided by a water column, ice cover, sediment, organic material or other barriers (Cockell 1998), but the importance of UV in prebiotic chemistry suggests that shielded environments which could plausibly be in fairly close contact with unshielded environments should be preferred.”
From Environmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor (2018) · cites this paper as Cockell 1998
In the citing paper
“However, it has been observed that wavelengths below 290 nm are most damaging to DNA, and that the Archean Earth would have experienced a higher flux of shorter-wavelength UV radiation though water and atmospheric carbon dioxide may have efficiently blocked wavelengths much below 200 nm (Cockell 1998;Ranjan and Sasselov 2016).”
From Environmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor (2018) · cites this paper as Cockell 1998
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Ultraviolet radiation screening compounds
Cockell, C. S., & Knowland, J. (1999) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1017/s0006323199005356 · Cited by 842
“Elemental sulphur can also potentially provide specific UV absorption (Cockell, 1998a).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationFarquhar, J., Savarino, J., Airieau, S., & Thiemens, M. H. (2001) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/2000je001437 · Cited by 518
A phylogenomic study of DNA repair genes, proteins, and processes
Eisen, J. A., & Hanawalt, P. C. (1999) · Mutation Research/DNA Repair · doi:10.1016/s0921-8777(99)00050-6 · Cited by 469
The Pale Orange Dot: The Spectrum and Habitability of Hazy Archean Earth
Arney, G., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Meadows, V. S., Wolf, E. T., Schwieterman, E., Charnay, B., Claire, M., Hébrard, E., & Trainer, M. G. (2016) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1422 · Cited by 327
“On the other hand, if organisms remained protected by some other UV shield such as minerals, layers of overlying microbial mat, or water (Cockell, 1998), changes in UV radiation levels should not affect them as strongly, so the colder conditions created by the haze might have been the larger source…”
The Ultraviolet Environment of Mars: Biological Implications Past, Present, and Future
Cockell, C. S. (2000) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6393 · Cited by 330
“…for Archean Earth and present-day M it has been suggested that even the present-day martian UV may not be a limitation to the evolution of life (Cockell 1998 However, it is in synergy with other extremes such as low temp atures and the lack of liquid water that the environmental str of UV…”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialSelf-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Cockell, C. S.
- Affiliations
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cockell, Charles S.
- ORCID
- Cockell, Charles S.
- Venue
- Journal of Theoretical Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1998-08
- Volume
- 193
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 717-729
- ISSN
- 0022-5193 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1971891252
- Cited by
- 177
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 6.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Theoretical Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Keywords
- early Earth, ultraviolet radiation, UV-B radiation, UV-C, Archean, DNA inactivation, action spectrum, photoinhibition, microbial communities, Mars surface, habitability
- MeSH terms
- Animals, DNA, DNA Damage, DNA Repair, Photosynthesis, Radiation Dosage, Radiation Injuries, Ultraviolet Rays, Earth, Planet
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