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Cited by 75Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeochemistry and Elemental AnalysisGeological and Geochemical Analysis

Nitrogen fixation sustained productivity in the wake of the Palaeoproterozoic Great Oxygenation Event

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Luo, Genming, Junium, Christopher K., Izon, Gareth, Ono, Shuhei, Beukes, Nicolas J., Algeo, Thomas J., Cui, Ying, Xie, Shucheng +1 more·2018·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-03361-2PMC PMC5841411
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Abstract

The marine nitrogen cycle is dominated by redox-controlled biogeochemical processes and, therefore, is likely to have been revolutionised in response to Earth-surface oxygenation. The details, timing, and trajectory of nitrogen cycle evolution, however, remain elusive. Here we couple nitrogen and carbon isotope records from multiple drillcores through the Rooihoogte–Timeball Hill Formations from across the Carletonville area of the Kaapvaal Craton where the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) and its aftermath are recorded. Our data reveal that aerobic nitrogen cycling, featuring metabolisms involving nitrogen oxyanions, was well established prior to the GOE and that ammonium may have dominated the dissolved nitrogen inventory. Pronounced signals of diazotrophy imply a stepwise evolution, with a temporary intermediate stage where both ammonium and nitrate may have been scarce. We suggest that the emergence of the modern nitrogen cycle, with metabolic processes that approximate their contemporary balance, was retarded by low environmental oxygen availability.

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  • Stable nitrogen isotope data indicate the onset of a pervasive aerobic nitrogen cycle in the surface ocean during this interval.

    “Stable nitrogen isotope data indicate the onset of a pervasive aerobic nitrogen cycle in the surface ocean during this interval (Luo et al. 2018, Zerkle et al. 2017), but it is not straightforward to tie this quantitatively to an atmospheric O 2 value or global ocean oxygenation landscape.”

    From The History of Ocean Oxygenation (2022) · cites this paper as Luo et al. 2018

    The Discussion (page not provided) links nitrogen-isotope signals to aerobic nitrogen cycling and increased surface-water oxygen availability. But it also says positive isotope values occur before the Great Oxygenation Event, while the Introduction describes the timing of a modern nitrogen cycle as contested. The paper therefore does not establish the claimed onset of a pervasive surface-ocean aerobic nitrogen cycle during the interval. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cited by

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Authors
Luo, G., Junium, C. K., Izon, G., Ono, S., Beukes, N. J., Algeo, T. J., Cui, Y., Xie, S., & Summons, R. E.
Affiliations
  • China University of Geosciences (CN)
  • Syracuse University (US)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • University of Johannesburg (ZA)
  • Dartmouth College (US)
Corresponding author
Luo, Genming
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-03-07
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
978-978
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-018-03361-2
PMC
PMC5841411
OpenAlex
W2807662703
Cited by
75
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6
FWCI
5.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (1455258, 1338810)
  • Simons Foundation
  • National Research Foundation
  • Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project (111Project, B08030)
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFA0601104, 111 project, 2016YFC0601005, 2013CB955704)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Keywords
Great Oxidation Event, marine nitrogen cycle, nitrogen fixation, diazotrophy, ammonium, nitrate, carbon isotope stratigraphy, Paleoproterozoic, Kaapvaal Craton
MeSH terms
Nitrogen, Nitrogen Fixation, Oxygen, Paleontology, Seawater, South Africa, Ecosystem, Geologic Sediments, History, Ancient, Nitrogen Cycle

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