The timing of the earliest production of oxygen by photosynthesis is hotly debated. Haematite crystals from Pilbara, Australia, may provide evidence for a deep ocean that was at least occasionally oxygenated by photosynthetic microbes 3.46 billion years ago.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Knoll, A. H. Geobiology 1, 3–14 (2003).
Brocks, J. J., Logan, G. A., Buick, R. & Summons, R. E. Science 285, 1033–1036 (1999).
Rasmussen, B., Fletcher, I. R., Brocks, J. J. & Kilburn, M. R. Nature 455, 1101–1104 (2008).
Hoashi, M. et al. Nature Geosci. 2, 301–306 (2009).
Konhauser, K. O. et al. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 258, 87–100 (2007).
Holland, H. D. The Chemical Evolution of the Atmosphere and Oceans (Princeton Univ. Press, 1984).
Poulton, S. W., Fralick, P. W. & Canfield, D. E. Nature 431, 173–177 (2004).
Ohmoto, H., Kakegawa, T. & Lowe, D. R. Science 262, 555–557 (1993).
Ohmoto, H. Geology 24, 1135–1138 (1996).
Kaufman, A. J. et al. Science 317, 1900–1903 (2007).
Barley, M. E., Bekker, A. & Krapež, B. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 238, 156–171 (2005).
Rosing, M. T. & Frei, R. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 217, 237–244 (2004).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Konhauser, K. Deepening the early oxygen debate. Nature Geosci 2, 241–242 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo484
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo484