Paleobiological Perspectives on Early Eukaryotic Evolution
Open accessAbstract
Eukaryotic organisms radiated in Proterozoic oceans with oxygenated surface waters, but, commonly, anoxia at depth. Exceptionally preserved fossils of red algae favor crown group emergence more than 1200 million years ago, but older (up to 1600-1800 million years) microfossils could record stem group eukaryotes. Major eukaryotic diversification ~800 million years ago is documented by the increase in the taxonomic richness of complex, organic-walled microfossils, including simple coenocytic and multicellular forms, as well as widespread tests comparable to those of extant testate amoebae and simple foraminiferans and diverse scales comparable to organic and siliceous scales formed today by protists in several clades. Mid-Neoproterozoic establishment or expansion of eukaryophagy provides a possible mechanism for accelerating eukaryotic diversification long after the origin of the domain. Protists continued to diversify along with animals in the more pervasively oxygenated oceans of the Phanerozoic Eon.
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This relationship may, in part, explain the early rise but protracted diversification of eukaryotes.
“This relationship may, in part, explain the early rise but protracted diversification of eukaryotes (34).”
From Earth's oxygen cycle and the evolution of animal life (2016) · cites this paper as [34]
The Neoproterozoic Radiation section says fossil diversity increased only moderately during the first half of recorded eukaryotic history, then diversified markedly around 800 million years ago. The paper also proposes eukaryophagy as a possible mechanism for that later diversification, but the citing sentence does not identify what “this relationship” refers to, so its specific explanatory link cannot be verified. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredFossil and molecular evidence reveals that other extant (and perhaps some extinct) multicellular eukaryotic clades were also evolving and diversifying rapidly during the Neoproterozoic.
“fossil and molecular evidence reveals that other extant (and perhaps some extinct) multicellular eukaryotic clades were also evolving and diversifying rapidly during the Neoproterozoic (reviewed in [135]).”
From The origin of animals: Can molecular clocks and the fossil record be reconciled? (2017) · cites this paper as [135]
Changes among eukaryotes observed in the fossil record at ~800 to 750 Ma include increasing diversity.
“Perhaps of greatest relevance to defining the link between oxygen and biological evolution are the changes among eukaryotes observed in the fossil record at ∼800 to 750 Ma, including increasing diversity (Fig. 1) (reviewed in Knoll, 2014; Cohen and Macdonald, 2015; Riedman and Sadler, 2018).”
From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Knoll, 2014
Eukaryotic fossils show considerable taxonomic and ecological diversification at ∼800 to 750 Ma, almost a billion years after their first known appearance.
“Eukaryotic fossils show considerable taxonomic and ecological diversification at ∼800 to 750 Ma (reviewed in Knoll, 2014; Cohen and Macdonald, 2015; Riedman and Sadler, 2018), almost a billion years after their first known appearance.”
From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Knoll, 2014
Following the evolution of stem group eukaryotes in the early mid-Proterozoic, eukaryotic diversity was relatively static from 1.8 to 0.8 Ga.
“Following the evolution of stem group eukaryotes in the early mid-Proterozoic (Butterfield, 2000;Knoll, 2014), there is a relatively static period in eukaryotic diversity lasting from 1.8 to 0.8 Ga.”
From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Knoll, 2014
Filamentous microfossils suggest red algae rhodophytes in carbonates up to 1200 Ma old and potential green algae chlorophytes as old as 1800 Ma.
“where filamentous microfossils suggest red algae rhodophytes in carbonates up to 1200 Ma old (Butterfield, 2000;Knoll et al., 2013) and potential green algae chlorophytes as old as 1800 Ma”
From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Knoll, 2014
Such a record indicates the potential for habitable marine environments, at least in terms of minimum O2 thresholds, hundreds of millions of years before the first evidence for animal life or eukaryotic diversification.
“Such a record indicates the potential for habitable marine environments, at least in terms of minimum O2 thresholds, hundreds of millions of years before the first evidence for animal life or eukaryotic diversification”
From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Knoll, 2014
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Protistan Skeletons: A Geologic History of Evolution and Constraint
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Self-citationStratigraphic setting and age of the complex Tappania-bearing Proterozoic fossil biota of Siberia
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Silicon isotopic variability in Proterozoic cherts
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Low Mid-Proterozoic atmospheric oxygen levels and the delayed rise of animals
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Evolution of the global phosphorus cycle
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Cyanobacteria and biogeochemical cycles through Earth history
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Self-citationA rooted phylogeny resolves early bacterial evolution
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Phylogenomics provides robust support for a two-domains tree of life
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Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution
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Precise age of Bangiomorpha pubescens dates the origin of eukaryotic photosynthesis
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Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview
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“…and archaea (Pace, 1997; compare Parfrey et al., 2011); however, the first observable, datable, probable eukaryotic remains occur at *1.7 to 1.6 Ga (Knoll and Nowak, 2017; Javaux and Lepot, 2018)—consistent with molecular clock estimates that place the last common ancestor of extant eukaryotes…”
BackgroundInfluentialA one-billion-year-old multicellular chlorophyte
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Symbiosis in eukaryotic evolution
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The energy expansions of evolution
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“The morphological features observed in the Taoudeni microfossils interpreted as unambiguous eukaryotes have been reported previously in other contemporaneous assemblages and their significance as evidence for biological innovations discussed in details (e.g. Butterfield, 2004; Butterfield, 2015; Javaux et al., 2003; J…”
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Late Proterozoic Transitions in Climate, Oxygen, and Tectonics, and the Rise of Complex Life
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A public goods approach to major evolutionary innovations
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- Authors
- Knoll, A. H.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Knoll, A. H.
- ORCID
- Knoll, A. H.
- Venue
- Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Published
- 2014-01-01
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- a016121-a016121
- ISSN
- 1943-0264 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3941219
- OpenAlex
- W2147564739
- Cited by
- 394
- References
- 105
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 1
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- NASA Astrobiology Institute
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Keywords
- eukaryotic evolution, Proterozoic, red algae, microfossils, organic-walled microfossils, eukaryotic diversification, Neoproterozoic, oxygenation, anoxia, protists, foraminifera, testate amoebae, Phanerozoic
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Paleontology
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