Cited by 1,435Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeological and Geochemical AnalysisGeochemistry and Elemental Analysis

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 43 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Dating the rise of atmospheric oxygen

Bekker, A., Holland, H. D., Wang, P.-L., Rumble, D., Stein, H. J., Hannah, J. L., Coetzee, L. L., Beukes, N. J.·2004·Nature

DOI 10.1038/nature02260

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Several lines of geological and geochemical evidence indicate that the level of atmospheric oxygen was extremely low before 2.45 billion years (Gyr) ago, and that it had reached considerable levels by 2.22 Gyr ago. Here we present evidence that the rise of atmospheric oxygen had occurred by 2.32 Gyr ago. We found that syngenetic pyrite is present in organic-rich shales of the 2.32-Gyr-old Rooihoogte and Timeball Hill formations, South Africa. The range of the isotopic composition of sulphur in this pyrite is large and shows no evidence of mass-independent fractionation, indicating that atmospheric oxygen was present at significant levels (that is, greater than 10(-5) times that of the present atmospheric level) during the deposition of these units. The presence of rounded pebbles of sideritic iron formation at the base of the Rooihoogte Formation and an extensive and thick ironstone layer consisting of haematitic pisolites and oölites in the upper Timeball Hill Formation indicate that atmospheric oxygen rose significantly, perhaps for the first time, during the deposition of the Rooihoogte and Timeball Hill formations. These units were deposited between what are probably the second and third of the three Palaeoproterozoic glacial events.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/nature02260

Cites

41 of 41 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Atmospheric Influence of Earth's Earliest Sulfur Cycle
Farquhar, J., Bao, H., & Thiemens, M. (2000) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.289.5480.756 · Cited by 1,805
Geochim. cosmochim. acta
Olivarez, A. M., & Owen, R. M. (1990) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(90)90417-j · Cited by 1,145
Mass-Independent Fractionation of Sulfur Isotopes in Archean Sediments: Strong Evidence for an Anoxic Archean Atmosphere
Pavlov, A. A., & Kasting, J. F. (2002) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/153110702753621321 · Cited by 912
The Proterozoic Biosphere
(1992) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511601064 · Cited by 902
Calibration of Sulfate Levels in the Archean Ocean
Habicht, K. S., Gade, M., Thamdrup, B., Berg, P., & Canfield, D. E. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1078265 · Cited by 756
Calibration of Sulfate Levels in the Archean Ocean
Gao, X., Thiemens, M. H., Farquhar, J. D., Jackson, T. L., Savarino, J., Airieau, S., Albarède, F., van der Hilst, R. D., & Kárason, H. (2002) · Cited by 607
Paleosols and the evolution of atmospheric oxygen; a critical review
Rye, R., & Holland, H. D. (1998) · American Journal of Science · doi:10.2475/ajs.298.8.621 · Cited by 524
Self-citation
Observation of wavelength‐sensitive mass‐independent sulfur isotope effects during SO2 photolysis: Implications for the early atmosphere
Farquhar, J., Savarino, J., Airieau, S., & Thiemens, M. H. (2001) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/2000je001437 · Cited by 518
Earth's Pre-Pleistocene Glacial Record
Hughes, T. (1982) · Sedimentary Geology · doi:10.1016/0037-0738(82)90028-8 · Cited by 467
Isotopic fractionation and the quantification of 17 O anomalies in the oxygen three-isotope system
Miller, M. F. (2002) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/s0016-7037(02)00832-3 · Cited by 443

Show all 43 references

Research works printed but not linked: 6

MacGregor, A. M. The problem of the Precambrian atmosphere. S. Afr. J. Sci. 23, 155–172 (1927)
Yang, W. & Holland, H. D. The redox-sensitive trace elements, Mo, U, and Re in Precambrian carbonaceous shales: Indicators of the Great Oxidation Event. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs 34, 381 (2002)
El Tabakh, M., Grey, K., Pirajno, F. & Schreiber, B. C. Pseudomorphs after evaporitic minerals interbedded with 2.2 Ga stromatolites of the Yerriba basin, Western Australia: Origin and significance. Geology 27, 871–874 (1999) · DOI · Paper page
Beukes, N. J. & Klein, C. in Proterozoic Biosphere (eds Schopf, J. W. & Klein, C.) 147–151 (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK, 1992)
Visser, J. N. J. The Timeball Hill Formation at Pretoria—A prograding shore-line deposit. Ann. Geol. Surv. (S. Afr.) 9, 115–118 (1971) (1971–72)
Beukes, N. J., Dorland, H. C. & Gutzmer, J. Pisolitic ironstone and ferricrete in the 2.22–2.4 Ga Timeball Hill Formation, Transvaal Supergroup: Implications for the history of atmospheric oxygen. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs 34, 283 (2002)

Sorted by citations

Items 701–800 of 1,000

Origin of Banded Iron Formations: Links with Paleoclimate, Paleoenvironment, and Major Geological Processes
Yin, J., Li, H., & Xiao, K. (2023) · Minerals · doi:10.3390/min13040547 · Cited by 26
Biomedical engineering utilizing living photosynthetic cyanobacteria and microalgae: Current status and future prospects
Zhang, T., Liu, D., Zhang, Y., Chen, L., Zhang, W., & Sun, T. (2024) · Materials Today Bio · doi:10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101154 · Cited by 25
“The Great Oxygenation Event (GOE), occurring approximately 2.4 billion years ago, marked a significant increase in atmospheric oxygen levels [74].”
BackgroundInfluential
Geodynamic evolution of the Minas Basin, southern São Francisco Craton (Brazil), during the early Paleoproterozoic: Climate or tectonic?
Rossignol, C., LANA, C. D. C., & Alkmim, F. F. (2020) · Journal of South American Earth Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102628 · Cited by 22
Vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation of sulfur dioxide and its implications for oxygen production in the early Earth's atmosphere
Chang, Y., Fu, Y., Chen, Z., Luo, Z., Zhao, Y., Li, Z. H., Zhang, W., Wu, G., Fu, B., Zhang, D. H., et al. (2023) · Chemical Science · doi:10.1039/d3sc03328g · Cited by 23
Precambrian glaciations and associated biospheric events
Chumakov, N. M. (2010) · Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation · doi:10.1134/s0869593810050011 · Cited by 23
“( 1 ) first trilobites; (2) first archaeocyaths; (3) small�shelled fauna of the Vendian Nemakit�Daldynian Stage; (4) first bilate ral ani� mals; (5) first skeletal animals (claudinids); (6) vendotaenids; (7) abundant sabelliditids; (8) Eohylinia and Archifasma algofloras; (9) first Vendian macroscopic algae; (10) embr…”
BackgroundInfluential
Relationships between Fe redistribution and Po2 during mineral dissolution under low O2 conditions
Sugimori, H., Kanzaki, Y., & Murakami, T. (2012) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2012.01.001 · Cited by 23
No proof from carbon isotopes in the Francevillian (Gabon) and Onega (Fennoscandian shield) basins of a global oxidation event at 1980–2090 Ma following the Great Oxidation Event (GOE)
Weber, F. P., & Gauthier-Lafaye, F. (2013) · Comptes Rendus Géoscience · doi:10.1016/j.crte.2012.12.003 · Cited by 23
“Kump et al. (2011) suggest that this anomaly is due to massive oxidation of organic matter reﬂecting the establishment of an oxygen-rich atmosphere in the aftermath of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) (2450– 2320 Ma) (Bekker et al., 2004).”
The Oxygen Cycle of the Terrestrial Planets: Insights into the Processing and History of Oxygen in Surface Environments
Farquhar, J., & Johnston, D. T. (2008) · Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry · doi:10.2138/rmg.2008.68.16 · Cited by 23
“(2003, 2006a, 2006b); Bekker et al. (2004); Papineau (2005); Whitehouse (2005); Ohmoto et al.”
Mo marine geochemistry and reconstruction of ancient ocean redox states
Cheng, M., Li, C., Zhou, L., & Xie, S. (2015) · Science China Earth Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11430-015-5177-4 · Cited by 23
Follow the Oxygen: Comparative Histories of Planetary Oxygenation and Opportunities for Aerobic Life
Ward, L. M., Stamenković, V., Hand, K. P., & Fischer, W. W. (2019) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1779 · Cited by 25
“…to below 10 - 5.7 atm before the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) around 2.35 Ga, as recorded by a range of proxies (Holland, 1984; Rye and Holland, 1998; Farquhar et al., 2000; Bekker et al., 2004; Guo et al., 2009; Maynard, 2010; Johnson et al., 2013, 2014; Fischer et al., 2014; Luo et al., 2016).”
Influential
Evidence for a low-O2 Archean atmosphere from nickel-rich chrome spinels in 3.24Ga impact spherules, Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa
Krull-Davatzes, A. E., Byerly, G. R., & Lowe, D. R. (2010) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.05.014 · Cited by 23
Evolution of cyanobacterial morphotypes
Schirrmeister, B. E., Anisimova, M. O., Antonelli, A., & Bagheri, H. C. (2011) · Communicative & Integrative Biology · doi:10.4161/cib.16183 · Cited by 31
Climatic catastrophes in Earth history: two great Proterozoic glacial episodes
Young, G. M. (2012) · Geological Journal · doi:10.1002/gj.2467 · Cited by 23
“Bekker et al. (2004) suggested that the Makganyene diamictite of the western basin was equivalent to the Boshoek and Upper Timeball Hill formations of the Transvaal basin.”
Result
Ancient Rapid Radiation Explains Most Conflicts Among Gene Trees and Well-Supported Phylogenomic Trees of Nostocalean Cyanobacteria
la Hoz, C. J. P., Magain, N., Piatkowski, B. T., Cornet, L., Forno, M. D., Carbone, I., Miądlikowska, J., & Lutzoni, F. M. (2023) · Systematic Biology · doi:10.1093/sysbio/syad008 · Cited by 25
A gene for all seasons: The evolutionary consequences of HIF-1 in carcinogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis
Bhattacharya, R., Brown, J. S., Gatenby, R. A., & Ibrahim‐Hashim, A. (2024) · Seminars in Cancer Biology · doi:10.1016/j.semcancer.2024.06.003 · Cited by 24
Applications of PGE Radioisotope Systems in Geo- and Cosmochemistry
Carlson, R. W., Shirey, S. B., & Schönbächler, M. (2008) · Elements · doi:10.2113/gselements.4.4.239 · Cited by 22
Lateral Gene Transfer in Evolution
Gophna, U. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-7780-8 · Cited by 25
Searching for the Great Oxidation Event in North America: A Reappraisal of the Huronian Supergroup by SIMS Sulfur Four-Isotope Analysis
Cui, H., Kitajima, K., Spicuzza, M. J., Fournelle, J., Ishida, A., Brown, P. E., & Valley, J. W. (2018) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1722 · Cited by 22
“12) (Cameron, 1982; Bekker et al., 2004; Luo et al., 2016).”
Influential
Snapshot of an early Paleoproterozoic ecosystem: Two diverse microfossil communities from the Turee Creek Group, Western Australia
Barlow, E. V., & Kranendonk, M. J. V. (2018) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12304 · Cited by 21
Nitrogen isotope evidence for stepwise oxygenation of the ocean during the Great Oxidation Event
Chen, C., Busigny, V., Ader, M., Thomazo, C., Chaduteau, C., & Philippot, P. (2019) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2019.07.011 · Cited by 24
“Here, we combine organic carbon and bulk nitrogen isotope compositions with major element concentrations and iron speciation data of sedimentary rocks recovered from two drill cores (T2 and T3) in the early Paleoproterozoic Turee Creek Group, Western Australia, to track the redox evolution of marine conditions during…”
BackgroundInfluential
Cofactors as Molecular Fossils To Trace the Origin and Evolution of Proteins
Chu, X., & Zhang, H. (2020) · ChemBioChem · doi:10.1002/cbic.202000027 · Cited by 26
Manganese carbonate-bearing mudstone of the Witwatersrand-Mozaan succession in southern Africa as evidence for bacterial manganese respiration and availability of free molecular oxygen in Mesoarchaean oceans
Smith, A. J. B., Beukes, N. J., Cochrane, J. M., & Gutzmer, J. (2023) · South African Journal of Geology · doi:10.25131/sajg.126.0005 · Cited by 22
Self-citation
Copper, zinc, chromium and osmium isotopic compositions of the Teplá-Barrandian unit black shales and implications for the composition and oxygenation of the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian ocean
Ackerman, L., Pašava, J., Šípková, A., Martínková, E., Haluzová, E., Rodovská, Z., & Chrastný, V. (2019) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.05.013 · Cited by 22
The formation of crystalline minerals and their role in the origin of life on Earth
Pérez-Aguilar, C. D., & Cuéllar‐Cruz, M. (2022) · Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials · doi:10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100558 · Cited by 21
Modifications of Mitochondrial Function by Toxicants
Lee, O., & O'Brien, P. J. (2010) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-046884-6.00119-6 · Cited by 22
Euxinic conditions recorded in the ca. 1.93 Ga Bravo Lake Formation, Nunavut (Canada): Implications for oceanic redox evolution
Partin, C. A., Bekker, A., Planavsky, N. J., & Lyons, T. W. (2015) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.09.004 · Cited by 21
Self-citation
Phosphogenesis in the 2460 and 2728 million‐year‐old banded iron formations as evidence for biological cycling of phosphate in the early biosphere
Li, Y., Sun, S., & Chan, L. S. (2012) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.443 · Cited by 21
“45 Gyr indicated that the oxidizing of the atmosphere enhanced the flux of mineral nutrients from the terrestrial weathering and consequently increased aerobic primary productivity (Xiong and Bauer 2002; Bekker et al. 2004; Campbell and Allen 2008; Kirschvink and Kopp 2008; Papineau et al. 2009; Papineau 2010).”
BackgroundInfluential
Geochemical evolution of the banded iron formations of the Voronezh Crystalline Massif in the early Precambrian: Sources of matter and geochronological constraints
Савко, К. А., Базиков, Н. С., & Artemenko, G. V. (2015) · Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation · doi:10.1134/s0869593815050068 · Cited by 21
Young ores in old rocks: Proterozoic iron mineralisation in Mesoarchean banded iron formation, northern Pilbara Craton, Australia
Sheppard, S., Krapež, B., Zi, J., Rasmussen, B., & Fletcher, I. R. (2017) · Ore Geology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.06.003 · Cited by 21
Genesis of Huoqiu banded iron formation (BIF), southeastern North China Craton, constraints from geochemical and Hf-O-S isotopic characteristics
Hou, K., Ma, X., Li, Y., Liu, F., & Han, D. (2018) · Journal of Geochemical Exploration · doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2018.11.005 · Cited by 21
The Evolution of Photosynthesis and Its Environmental Impact
Björn, L. O., & Jee, G. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1468-5_16 · Cited by 21
Regressive Evolution of Photosynthesis in the Roseobacter Clade
Koblížek, M., Zeng, Y., Horák, A., & Obornı́k, M. (2013) · Advances in botanical research · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397923-0.00013-8 · Cited by 21
The origin of life, panspermia and a proposal to seed the Universe
Tepfer, D. (2008) · Plant Science · doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2008.08.007 · Cited by 19
Kinetics of biotite dissolution and Fe behavior under low O2 conditions and their implications for Precambrian weathering
Sugimori, H., Yokoyama, T., & Murakami, T. (2009) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2009.03.034 · Cited by 21
The Photosynthetic World
Hohmann‐Marriott, M. F., & Blankenship, R. E. (2011) · Advances in photosynthesis and respiration · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1579-0_1 · Cited by 21
Characteristics and Evolutionary Analysis of Photosynthetic Gene Clusters on Extrachromosomal Replicons: from Streamlined Plasmids to Chromids
Liu, Y., Zheng, Q., Lin, W., & Jiao, N. (2019) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00358-19 · Cited by 20
Ribose Selected as Precursor to Life
Bánfalvi, G. (2019) · DNA and Cell Biology · doi:10.1089/dna.2019.4943 · Cited by 23
“Geological and geochemical evidence also indicate that the level of atmospheric oxygen was extremely low before 2.45 billion years, but reached a considerable level by 2.22 billion years ago (Bekker et al. , 2004).”
Influential
Mechanisms and climatic-ecological effects of the Great Oxidation Event in the early Proterozoic
Luo, G., Zhu, X., Wang, S., Zhang, S., & Jiao, C. (2022) · Science China Earth Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11430-021-9934-y · Cited by 20
“For example, some scholars equated the GOE entirely with the disappearance of the S-MIF signal in sedimentary successions, forming a misunderstanding that the GOE was a rapid and transient process (Bekker et al., 2004; Philippot et al., 2018; Warke et al., 2020).”
BackgroundInfluential
Testing the early Paleoproterozoic connection of the Superior and Wyoming cratons with geochronology and geochemistry
Mammone, N., Bekker, A., Chamberlain, K. R., & Кузнецов, А. Б. (2022) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106818 · Cited by 20
Self-citation
Improving the chronostratigraphic framework of the Transvaal Supergroup (South Africa) through in-situ and high-precision U-Pb geochronology
Senger, M., Davies, J. H. F. L., Ovtcharova, M., Beukes, N. J., Gumsley, A. P., Gaynor, S. P., Ulianov, A., Ngobeli, R., & Schaltegger, U. (2023) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2023.107070 · Cited by 20
Self-citation
Stochastic Character Mapping, Bayesian Model Selection, and Biosynthetic Pathways Shed New Light on the Evolution of Habitat Preference in Cyanobacteria
Bianchini, G., Hagemann, M., & Sánchez‐Baracaldo, P. (2024) · Systematic Biology · doi:10.1093/sysbio/syae025 · Cited by 20
“Our results show that there is an 89% probability of this occurring before the GOE at ~2460 Ma (Bekker et al. 2004); these findings imply that although the LCA of Cyanobacteria lived in a high-salinity habitat, low-salinity environments were likely colonized early during the lead-up to the GOE.”
Result
Sulfur isotopic trends and iron speciation from the c. 2.0 Ga Pilgujärvi Sedimentary Formation, NW Russia
Reuschel, M., Melezhik, V. A., & Strauß, H. (2011) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2011.12.009 · Cited by 20
Sedimentary Provenance of the Neoarchean Ventersdorp Supergroup, Southern Africa: Shedding Light on the Evolution of the Kaapvaal Craton during the Neoarchean
Schneiderhan, E. A., Zimmermann, U., Gutzmer, J., Mezger, K., & Armstrong, R. (2011) · The Journal of Geology · doi:10.1086/661988 · Cited by 20
“Geochemistry and mineralogy of sediments from the Ventersdorp and Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa: Cratonic evolution during early Proterozoic.”
BackgroundInfluential
Formation Ages and Environments of Early Precambrian Banded Iron Formation in the North China Craton
Wan, Y.-Y., Liu, D., Xie, H., Kröner, A., Ren, P., Liu, S., Xie, S., Dong, C., & Ma, M. (2016) · Springer geology · doi:10.1007/978-981-10-1064-4_4 · Cited by 20
Adaptation to life on land at high O 2 via transition from ferredoxin-to NADH-dependent redox balance
Gould, S. B., Garg, S. G., Handrich, M. R., Sathi, S. N., Gruenheit, N., Tielens, A. G. M., & Martin, W. F. (2019) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.1491 · Cited by 22
“Before that, all life was anaerobic [3,4].”
Sr- and C-Chemostratigraphy Potential of the Paleoproterozoic Sedimentary Carbonates under Medium-Temperature Metamorphism: the Ruskeala Marble, Karelia
Kuznetsov, A., Gorokhov, I., Azimov, P., & Dubinina, E. (2021) · Petrology · doi:10.1134/s0869591121010033 · Cited by 15
“…end of the Early Paleoproterozoic and likely an increase of volume (“maturity”) of continental crust, as well as by the intensification of continental weathering at ca. 2 Ga due to the growth of free oxygen proportion in Earth’s atmosphere at 2.32 Ga (Bekker et al., 2004; Melezhik et al., 2013a).”
BackgroundInfluential
The faint young Sun problem revisited with a 3-D climate–carbon model – Part 1
Hir, G. L., Teitler, Y., Fluteau, F., Yannick Donnadieu, A., & Philippot, P. (2014) · Climate of the past · doi:10.5194/cp-10-697-2014 · Cited by 23
Response to Comment on "Iron Isotope Constraints on the Archean and Paleoproterozoic Ocean Redox State"
Rouxel, O. J., Bekker, A., & Edwards, K. J. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1118420 · Cited by 20
Self-citation
Precambrian Mississippi Valley–type deposits: Relation to changes in composition of the hydrosphere and atmosphere
Kesler, S. E., & Reich, M. (2006) · Geological Society of America eBooks · doi:10.1130/2006.1198(11 · Cited by 19
2.0 Ga orogenic graphite deposits and associated 13C-enriched meta-carbonate rocks from South China Craton: Implications for global Lomagundi event
Li, Y., Satish-Kumar, M., Kiran, S., Wan, C., & Zheng, J. (2022) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2022.101409 · Cited by 19
Earth’s surface oxygenation and the rise of eukaryotic life: Relationships to the Lomagundi positive carbon isotope excursion revisited
Fakhraee, M., Tarhan, L. G., Reinhard, C. T., Crowe, S. A., Lyons, T. W., & Planavsky, N. J. (2023) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104398 · Cited by 20
A timeline of bacterial and archaeal diversification in the ocean
Martínez-Gutiérrez, C. A., Uyeda, J. C., & Aylward, F. O. (2023) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.88268 · Cited by 22
RESEARCH FOCUS: The life and times of banded iron formations
Smith, A. J. B. (2015) · Geology · doi:10.1130/focus122015.1 · Cited by 19
Interaction between lithification and resource availability in the microbialites of Río Mesquites, Cuatro Ciénegas, México
Corman, J. R., Poret‐Peterson, A. T., Uchitel, A., & Elser, J. J. (2015) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12168 · Cited by 19
“Most notably, the rise in oxygen (O2) ~2.3 Gya was likely the result of these microbial consortia supported by photosynthetic organisms that fix carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic matter and produce O2 (Bekker et al., 2004; Canfield, 2005; Dupraz & Visscher, 2005).”
BackgroundInfluential
DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE PALEOPROTEROZOIC MOOIDRAAI FORMATION, KALAHARI MANGANESE FIELD, SOUTH AFRICA
Kunzmann, M., Gutzmer, J., Beukes, N. J., & Halverson, G. P. (2014) · South African Journal of Geology · doi:10.2113/gssajg.117.2.173 · Cited by 19
Self-citation
The two Dps proteins, NpDps2 and NpDps5, are involved in light-induced oxidative stress tolerance in the N2-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme
Moparthi, V. K., Li, X., Vavitsas, K., Dzhygyr, I., Sandh, G., Magnuson, A., & Stensjö, K. (2016) · Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics · doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2016.08.003 · Cited by 19
Ocean Redox State at 2500‒500 Ma: Modern Concepts
Maslov, A. V., & Podkovyrov, V. N. (2018) · Lithology and Mineral Resources · doi:10.1134/s0024490218030057 · Cited by 18
Quadruple sulfur isotopic fractionation during pyrite desulfidation to pyrrhotite
Liu, L., Mavrogenes, J., Holden, P. N., & Ireland, T. R. (2020) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2020.01.024 · Cited by 18
Geochemistry of pyrite from diamictites of the Boolgeeda Iron Formation, Western Australia with implications for the GOE and Paleoproterozoic ice ages
Swanner, E. D., Bekker, A., Ernesto Pecoits, A., Konhauser, K. O., Cates, N. L., & Mojzsis, S. J. (2013) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.07.022 · Cited by 19
Self-citation
Underwater sinkhole sediments sequester Lake Huron’s carbon
Nold, S. C., Bellecourt, M. J., Kendall, S. T., Ruberg, S. A., Sanders, T. G., Klump, J. V., & Biddanda, B. A. (2013) · Biogeochemistry · doi:10.1007/s10533-013-9830-8 · Cited by 19
“analogs of Precambrian communities that played a critical role in atmospheric evolution on early earth (Bekker et al. 2004; Johnston et al. 2009).”
Background
Cyanobacterial Emergence at 2.8 Gya and Greenhouse Feedbacks
SCHWARTZMAN, D. W., Caldeira, K., & Pavlov, A. A. (2008) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2006.0074 · Cited by 19
“The rise of atmospheric oxygen at about 2.4 Gya is apparently well constrained by sulfur isotopes (mass-independent fractionation) as well as other geochemical evidence (Farquhar et al ., 2000; Pavlov and Kasting, 2002; Bekker et al. , 2004).”
Influential
Evolution of prokaryotic respiratory molybdoenzymes and the frequency of their genomic co-occurrence
Harel, A., Häggblom, M. M., Falkowski, P. G., & Yee, N. (2016) · FEMS Microbiology Ecology · doi:10.1093/femsec/fiw187 · Cited by 19
The Sedimentary Sulfur System: Biogeochemistry and Evolution through Geologic Time
Rickard, D. T. (2013) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-095975-7.00710-5 · Cited by 20
Great Oxygenation Event
Bekker, A. (2015) · Encyclopedia of Astrobiology · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1752 · Cited by 19
Self-citation
Eolianite Grain Size Distributions as a Proxy for Large Changes in Planetary Atmospheric Density
Goosmann, E. A., Catling, D. C., Som, S. M., Altermann, W., & Buick, R. (2018) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/2018je005723 · Cited by 18
“2 Ga, oxygen, which is 21% of Earth’s current atmosphere, was below one millionth the present atmospheric level (Bekker et al., 2004; Zahnle et al., 2006).”
Background
In situ multiple sulfur isotopes and chemistry of pyrite support a sedimentary source-rock model for the Linwang Carlin-type gold deposit in the Youjiang basin, southwest China
He, X., Su, W., Shen, N., Xia, X., & Wang, F. (2021) · Ore Geology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2021.104533 · Cited by 18
The Evolution of Nitric Oxide Function: From Reactivity in the Prebiotic Earth to Examples of Biological Roles and Therapeutic Applications
Shepherd, M., Giordano, D., Verde, C., & Poole, R. K. (2022) · Antioxidants · doi:10.3390/antiox11071222 · Cited by 20
“With the Great Oxidation Event [19,20], which produc d a rapid rise in the partial pressure of atmospheric O2 between 2.”
BackgroundInfluential
Experimental dissolution of molybdenum‐sulphides at low oxygen concentrations: A first‐order approximation of late Archean atmospheric conditions
Greber, N. D., Mäder, U., & Nägler, T. F. (2015) · Earth and Space Science · doi:10.1002/2014ea000059 · Cited by 18
“…like the occurrence of reduced detrital mineral phases such as pyrite, uraninite, and siderite in sedimentary rocks [e.g., Rasmussen and Buick, 1999; Bekker et al., 2004; Johnson et al., 2014], the behavior of Fe in paleosols [e.g., Rye and Holland, 1998], or mass independent fractionation (MIF)…”
BackgroundInfluential
Evolution of cellular metabolism and the rise of a globally productive biosphere
Braakman, R. (2019) · Free Radical Biology and Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.004 · Cited by 18
Evaporite deposition in the mid-Neoproterozoic as a driver for changes in seawater chemistry and the biogeochemical cycle of sulfur
Prince, J. K. G., Rainbird, R. H., & Wing, B. A. (2019) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g45464.1 · Cited by 19
Origin of cyanobacterial thylakoids via a non-vesicular glycolipid phase transition and their impact on the Great Oxygenation Event
Guéguen, N., & Maréchal, É. (2021) · Journal of Experimental Botany · doi:10.1093/jxb/erab429 · Cited by 19
Energy Cycle in the Ocean: Powering the Microbial World
Kolber, Z. (2007) · Oceanography · doi:10.5670/oceanog.2007.51 · Cited by 18
Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks: A Summary of Discussions at a Field Workshop on Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks
Ohmoto, H., Runnegar, B. N., Kump, L. R., Fogel, M. L., Kamber, B. S., Anbar, A. D., Knauth, P., Lowe, D. R., Sumner, D. Y., & Watanabe, Y. (2008) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2008.0257 · Cited by 20
“45 Ga rocks, has been linked to atmospheric oxygen evolution (Farquhar and Wing, 2003; Bekker et al ., 2004).”
The Karouni Gold Deposit, Guyana, South America: Part II. Hydrothermal Alteration and Mineralization
Tedeschi, M., Hagemann, S. G., Roberts, M. P., & Evans, N. J. (2018) · Economic Geology · doi:10.5382/econgeo.2018.4610 · Cited by 17
Life on a Mesoarchean marine shelf – insights from the world’s oldest known granular iron formation
Smith, A. J. B., Beukes, N. J., Gutzmer, J., Johnson, C. M., Czaja, A. D., Nhleko, N., de Beer, F., Hoffman, J. W., & Awramik, S. M. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66805-0 · Cited by 17
Self-citation
Formation pathways of Precambrian sedimentary pyrite: Insights from in situ Fe isotopes
Dupeyron, J., Decraene, M., Marin‐Carbonne, J., & Busigny, V. (2023) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118070 · Cited by 17
“In a pioneer work, Rouxel et al. (2005) measured bulk Fe isotope composition of pyrite grains in black shales, from late Archean to Paleoproterozoic, and discovered a negative isotope excursion (i.e., enrichment in light Fe isotopes) just before the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE, 2.4 Ga; Bekker et al., 2004).”
BackgroundInfluential
Hydrocarbons preserved in a ~2.7 Ga outcrop sample from the F ortescue G roup, P ilbara C raton, W estern A ustralia
Hoshino, Y., Flannery, D. T., Walter, M. R., & George, S. C. (2014) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12117 · Cited by 17
“However, some lines of evidence, including biomarker analyses, have suggested the rise of O2 well before the GOE (e.g. Brocks et al., 1999; Anbar et al., 2007; Waldbauer et al., 2009; Planavsky et al., 2014).”
BackgroundInfluential
Geomicrobial functional groups: A window on the interaction between life and environments
Xie, S., Yang, H., Luo, G., Huang, X., Liu, D., Wang, Y., Gong, Y., & Xu, R. (2012) · Chinese Science Bulletin · doi:10.1007/s11434-011-4860-x · Cited by 17
Variations in the Calvin–Benson cycle: selection pressures and optimization?
Schreier, T. B., & Hibberd, J. M. (2019) · Journal of Experimental Botany · doi:10.1093/jxb/erz078 · Cited by 17
Microfossils from the Paleoproterozoic Hutuo Group, Shanxi, North China: Early evidence for eukaryotic metabolism
Yin, L., Meng, F., Fanfan, K., & Niu, C. (2020) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105650 · Cited by 18
Cyanobacteria-based microbial cell factories for production of industrial products
Hamouda, R. A., & El‐Naggar, N. E. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-821477-0.00007-6 · Cited by 23
A 2169 Ma U–Pb baddeleyite age for the Otish Gabbro, Quebec: implications for correlation of Proterozoic magmatic events and sedimentary sequences in the eastern Superior Province
Hamilton, M. A., & Buchan, K. L. (2015) · Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences · doi:10.1139/cjes-2015-0131 · Cited by 17
Episodic negative anomalies of cerium at the depositional onset of the 2.65-Ga Itabira iron formation, Quadrilátero Ferrífero of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Cabral, A. R., Lehmann, B., Gomes, A. A. S., & Pašava, J. (2016) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2016.01.031 · Cited by 17
Low δ18O zircon grains in the Neoarchean Rum Jungle Complex, northern Australia: An indicator of emergent continental crust
Hollis, J. A., Kranendonk, M. J. V., Cross, A., Kirkland, C. L., Armstrong, R. A., & Allen, C. M. (2014) · Lithosphere · doi:10.1130/l296.1 · Cited by 17
“An understanding of how and when continental emergence progressed is important, as widespread emergence of continents provided a means to draw down atmospheric CO 2 , with concomitant increases in atmospheric oxygen (e.g., at ca. 2.5–2.3 Ga; Holland, 2002; Bekker et al., 2004; Anbar et al., 2007).”
Influential
Post‐Great Oxidation Event Orosirian–Statherian iron formations on the São Francisco craton: Geotectonic implications
Rosière, C. A., Bekker, A., Rolim, V. K., & Santos, J. O. S. (2019) · Island Arc · doi:10.1111/iar.12300 · Cited by 17
“…the protocraton suggests that Fe-charged waters were maintained within the sizeable continental landmass at the end of the Paleoproterozoic, a long time after the rise of the atmospheric oxygen level during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) at 2.4 Ga (Bekker et al., 2004; Gumsley et al., 2017).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citation
Cr isotopic insights into ca. 1.9 Ga oxidative weathering of the continents using the Beaverlodge Lake paleosol, Northwest Territories, Canada
Toma, J., Holmden, C. E., Shakotko, P., Pan, Y., & Ootes, L. (2019) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12342 · Cited by 18
“In the deep geological past, when the Earth's surface was less oxidizing than it is today, the prevalence of Cr(VI) in the en‐ vironment would have been greatly diminished, and probably scarce before the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) dated between 2.45 and 2.32 Ga (Bekker et al., 2004).”
BackgroundInfluential
Oxygen-Free Biochemistry: The Putative CHN Foundation for Exotic Life in a Hydrocarbon World?
Lv, K.-P., Norman, L., & Li, Y. (2017) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2016.1574 · Cited by 17
“In the evolutionary history of life, the emergence of atmospheric oxygen (Bekker et al., 2004) subsequently led to the evolution of aerobic respiration and signiﬁcantly improved the efﬁciency of energy-yielding reactions.”
Shallow marine glauconitization during the Proterozoic in response to intrabasinal tectonics: A study from the Proterozoic Lower Bhander Sandstone, Central India
Mandal, S., Choudhury, T. R., Das, A., Sarkar, S., & Banerjee, S. (2022) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106596 · Cited by 16
In situ trace metal analysis of N eoarchaean – O rdovician shallow‐marine microbial‐carbonate‐hosted pyrites
Gallagher, M., Turner, E. C., & Kamber, B. S. (2015) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12139 · Cited by 16
“4 Ga (Karhu & Holland, 1996; Farquhar & Wing, 2003; Bekker et al., 2004; Rouxel et al., 2005), during what is known as the great oxidation event (GOE).”
BackgroundInfluential
Multiple sulfur isotopes from the Neoarchaean Serra Sul black shale, Carajás mineral province, northern Brazil
Cabral, A. R., Buhn, B. M., Gomes, A. A. S., Galbiatti, H. F., Lehmann, B., & Halder, S. (2017) · Journal of South American Earth Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2017.08.002 · Cited by 16
Hydro-Electrochemical Integration of the Higher Plant – Basis for Electrogenic Flower Induction
Wagner, E., Lehner, L., Normann, J., Veit, J., & Albrechtová, J. T. P. (2006) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/3-540-28516-4_25 · Cited by 16
Dating Palaeoproterozoic glacial deposits of the Fennoscandian Shield using detrital zircons from the Kola Peninsula, Russia
Gärtner, C., Bahlburg, H., Melezhik, V. A., & Berndt, J. (2014) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2014.03.014 · Cited by 16
Geochronology, redox-state and origin of the ore-hosting porphyry in the Tongkuangyu Cu deposit, North China Craton: Implications for metallogenesis and tectonic evolution
Liu, X., Fan, H., Yang, K., Qiu, Z., Hu, F., & Zhu, X. (2016) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2016.02.006 · Cited by 16
Precambrian iron formations from the Cauvery Suture Zone, Southern India: Implications for sub-marine hydrothermal origin in Neoarchean and Neoproterozoic convergent margin settings
Yellappa, T., Chetty, T. R. K., & Santosh, M. (2015) · Ore Geology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.05.002 · Cited by 16
Depositional setting of the Late Archean Fe oxide- and sulfide-bearing chert and graphitic argillite in the Shaw Dome, Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada
Hiebert, R. S., Bekker, A., Houlé, M. G., & Rouxel, O. J. (2018) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2018.04.004 · Cited by 16
Self-citation
Methane from microbial hydrogenolysis of sediment organic matter before the Great Oxidation Event
Xia, X., & Gao, Y. (2021) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25336-6 · Cited by 16
Oxygen's rise reduced
Lyons, T. W. (2007) · Nature · doi:10.1038/4481005a · Cited by 19
Reply to comment on “Bekker, A., Krapež, B., Karhu, J.A., 2020. Correlation of the stratigraphic cover of the Pilbara and Kaapvaal cratons recording the lead up to Paleoproterozoic Icehouse and the GOE. Earth-Science Reviews, 211, 103,389” by Pascal Philippot, Bryan A. Killingsworth, Jean-Louis Paquette, Svetlana Tessalina, Pierre Cartigny, Stefan V. Lalonde, Christophe Thomazo, Janaina N. Ávila, Vincent Busigny
Bekker, A., Krapež, B., Karhu, J. A., & Chamberlain, K. R. (2021) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103607 · Cited by 16
Self-citation
The Role of Seafloor Hydrothermal Systems in the Evolution of Seawater Composition During the Phanerozoic
Kump, L. R. (2011) · Geophysical monograph · doi:10.1029/178gm14 · Cited by 16
Microbial communities and organic biomarkers in a Proterozoic‐analog sinkhole
Hamilton, T. L., Welander, P. V., Albrecht, H. L., Fulton, J. M., Schaperdoth, I., Bird, L. R., Summons, R. E., Freeman, K. H., & Macalady, J. L. (2017) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12252 · Cited by 15
“5 Gyr ago (Bekker et al., 2004; Farquhar, Bao, & Thiemens, 2000) and there is strong evidence that diverse microbial metabolisms existed at this time (David & Alm, 2011).”
Background

Authors: Bekker, A., Holland, H. D., Wang, P.-L., Rumble, D., Stein, H. J., Hannah, J. L., Coetzee, L. L., & Beukes, N. J.
Affiliations: Harvard University (US)
Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
Colorado State University (US)
University of Johannesburg (ZA)
Corresponding author: Bekker, A.
ORCID: Bekker, A.
Wang, P.-L.
Hannah, J. L.
Beukes, N. J.
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2004-01
Volume: 427
Issue: 6970
Pages: 117-120
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature02260
OpenAlex: W2090027771
Cited by: 1,435
References: 43
Citations by year: 2026: 39 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 80 · 2018: 78 · 2017: 73 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 70 · 2014: 72 · 2013: 99 · 2012: 69
FWCI: 53.34
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders: National Science Foundation
Topics: Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
Keywords: Great Oxidation, atmospheric oxygen rise, sulfur isotopes, mass-independent fractionation, oolites, Neoproterozoic, Precambrian geochemistry
MeSH terms: Atmosphere, Carbonates, Cold Climate, Geography, Ice, Iron, Isotopes, Oxygen, South Africa, Sulfides, Sulfur, Time Factors, Geologic Sediments

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Dating the rise of atmospheric oxygen

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks