Cited by 574Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsProtist diversity and phylogenyEvolution and Paleontology Studies

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The rise of algae in Cryogenian oceans and the emergence of animals

Brocks, Jochen J., Jarrett, Amber J. M., Sirantoine, Eva, Hallmann, Christian, Hoshino, Yosuke, Liyanage, Tharika·2017·Nature

DOI 10.1038/nature23457

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Abstract

The transition from dominant bacterial to eukaryotic marine primary productivity was one of the most profound ecological revolutions in the Earth's history, reorganizing the distribution of carbon and nutrients in the water column and increasing energy flow to higher trophic levels. But the causes and geological timing of this transition, as well as possible links with rising atmospheric oxygen levels and the evolution of animals, remain obscure. Here we present a molecular fossil record of eukaryotic steroids demonstrating that bacteria were the only notable primary producers in the oceans before the Cryogenian period (720-635 million years ago). Increasing steroid diversity and abundance marks the rapid rise of marine planktonic algae (Archaeplastida) in the narrow time interval between the Sturtian and Marinoan 'snowball Earth' glaciations, 659-645 million years ago. We propose that the incumbency of cyanobacteria was broken by a surge of nutrients supplied by the Sturtian deglaciation. The 'Rise of Algae' created food webs with more efficient nutrient and energy transfers, driving ecosystems towards larger and increasingly complex organisms. This effect is recorded by the concomitant appearance of biomarkers for sponges and predatory rhizarians, and the subsequent radiation of eumetazoans in the Ediacaran period.

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Authors: Brocks, J. J., Jarrett, A. J. M., Sirantoine, E., Hallmann, C., Hoshino, Y., & Liyanage, T.
Affiliations: Australian National University (AU)
University of Bremen (DE)
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (DE)
Corresponding author: Brocks, Jochen J.
ORCID: Brocks, Jochen J.
Jarrett, Amber J. M.
Sirantoine, Eva
Hallmann, Christian
Hoshino, Yosuke
Liyanage, Tharika
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2017-08
Volume: 548
Issue: 7669
Pages: 578-581
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature23457
OpenAlex: W2749763761
Cited by: 574
References: 42
Citations by year: 2026: 48 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 66 · 2022: 68 · 2021: 80 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 54 · 2017: 11
FWCI: 38.24
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Publication Database GFZ (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) (submittedVersion)
MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders: Australian National University
Australian Research Council
Topics: Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Protist diversity and phylogeny
Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Keywords: Cryogenian, Ediacaran, molecular fossils, Archaeplastida, phytoplankton, Snowball Earth, Sturtian glaciation, Marinoan glaciation, cyanobacteria, atmospheric oxygen, food webs, origin of animals
MeSH terms: Cyanobacteria, Animals, Fossils, Oceans and Seas, Phosphorus, Biomarkers, Food Chain, Ice Cover, History, Ancient, Eukaryota, Carbon Cycle

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The rise of algae in Cryogenian oceans and the emergence of animals

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