Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Uncovering the largest negative carbon isotope excursion in Earth history

  • News Focus
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bristow T F, Kennedy M J. 2008. Carbon isotope excursions and the oxidant budget of the Ediacaran atmosphere and ocean. Geology, 36: 863–866

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Busch J F, Hodgin E B, Ahm ASC, Husson J M, Macdonald F A, Bergmann K D, Higgins J A, Strauss J V. 2022. Global and local drivers of the Ediacaran Shuram carbon isotope excursion. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 579: 117368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cui H, Kitajima K, Orland I J, Xiao S, Baele J M, Kaufman A J, Denny A, Zhou C, Spicuzza M J, Fournelle J H, Valley J W. 2021. Deposition or diagenesis? Probing the Ediacaran Shuram excursion in South China by SIMS. Glob Planet Change, 206: 103591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darroch S A F, Smith E F, Laflamme M, Erwin D H. 2018. Ediacaran extinction and Cambrian explosion. Trends Ecol Evol, 33: 653–663

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Derry LA. 2010. A burial diagenesis origin for the Ediacaran Shuram-Wonoka carbon isotope anomaly. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 294: 152–162

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dodd M S, Shi W, Li C, Zhang Z, Cheng M, Gu H, Hardisty D S, Loyd S J, Wallace M W, vS. Hood A, Lamothe K, Mills B J W, Poulton S W, Lyons T W. 2023. Uncovering the Ediacaran phosphorus cycle. Nature, 618: 974–980

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dodd M S, Zhang Z, Li C, Algeo T J, Lyons T W, Hardisty D S, Loyd S J, Meyer D L, Gill B C, Shi W, Wang W. 2021. Development of carbonate-associated phosphate (CAP) as a proxy for reconstructing ancient ocean phosphate levels. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 301: 48–69

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grotzinger J P, Fike D A, Fischer W W. 2011. Enigmatic origin of the largest-known carbon isotope excursion in Earth’s history. Nat Geosci, 4: 285–292

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Husson J M, Higgins J A, Maloof A C, Schoene B. 2015. Ca and Mg isotope constraints on the origin of Earth’s deepest δ13C excursion. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 160: 243–266

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Husson J M, Linzmeier B J, Kitajima K, Ishida A, Maloof A C, Schoene B, Peters S E, Valley J W. 2020. Large isotopic variability at the micronscale in “Shuram” excursion carbonates from South Australia. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 538: 116211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman A J, Corsetti F A, Varni M A. 2007. The effect of rising atmospheric oxygen on carbon and sulfur isotope anomalies in the Neoproterozoic Johnnie Formation, Death Valley, USA. Chem Geol, 237: 47–63

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee C, Love G D, Fischer W W, Grotzinger J P, Halverson G P. 2015. Marine organic matter cycling during the Ediacaran Shuram excursion. Geology, G37236.1

    Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Cheng M, Zhu M, Lyons T W. 2018. Heterogeneous and dynamic marine shelf oxygenation and coupled early animal evolution. Emerg Top Life Sci, 2: 279–288

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Hardisty D S, Luo G, Huang J, Algeo T J, Cheng M, Shi W, An Z, Tong J, Xie S, Jiao N, Lyons T W. 2017. Uncovering the spatial heterogeneity of Ediacaran carbon cycling. Geobiology, 15: 211–224

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lu M, Zhu M, Zhang J, Shields-Zhou G, Li G, Zhao F, Zhao X, Zhao M. 2013. The DOUNCE event at the top of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, South China: Broad stratigraphic occurrence and non-diagenetic origin. Precambrian Res, 225: 86–109

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rothman D H, Hayes J M, Summons R E. 2003. Dynamics of the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100: 8124–8129

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schrag D P, Higgins J A, Macdonald F A, Johnston D T. 2013. Authigenic carbonate and the history of the global carbon cycle. Science, 339: 540–543

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Peng Y, Li C, Cao X, Cheng M, Bao H. 2023. Sulfate triple-oxygen-isotope evidence confirming oceanic oxygenation 570 million years ago. Nat Commun, 14: 4315

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wei G Y, Wang J, Planavsky N J, Zhao M, Bolton E W, Jiang L, Asael D, Wei W, Ling H F. 2022. On the origin of Shuram carbon isotope excursion in South China and its implication for Ediacaran atmospheric oxygen levels. Precambrian Res, 375: 106673

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang C, Rooney A D, Condon D J, Li X H, Grazhdankin D V, Bowyer F T, Hu C, Macdonald F A, Zhu M. 2021. The tempo of Ediacaran evolution. Sci Adv, 7: eabi9643

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This contribution was made possible thanks to the discussions and support of our colleagues in China and abroad (with special thanks to Prof. Thomas ALGEO at University of Cincinnati), as well as all the members of the International Center for Sedimentary and Biogeochemistry Research at Chengdu University of Technology. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 41821001, 42130208, 41825019, 41888101, 42103072) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2022YFF0800100).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Chao Li & Haiyang Wang

  2. Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Chao Li & Haiyang Wang

  3. Key Laboratory of Deep-time Geography and Environment Reconstruction and Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Chao Li & Haiyang Wang

  4. International Center for Sedimentary Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry Research, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Chao Li & Haiyang Wang

  5. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Chao Li

Authors
  1. Chao Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haiyang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chao Li.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, C., Wang, H. Uncovering the largest negative carbon isotope excursion in Earth history. Sci. China Earth Sci. 67, 885–889 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-023-1227-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-023-1227-5

Search

Navigation