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Sylvain Richoz

Sylvain Richoz

Universitetslektor

Sylvain Richoz

“Hypoxic” Silurian oceans suggest early animals thrived in a low-O2 world

Författare

  • Emma R. Haxen
  • Niels H. Schovsbo
  • Arne T. Nielsen
  • Sylvain Richoz
  • David K. Loydell
  • Nicole R. Posth
  • Donald E. Canfield
  • Emma U. Hammarlund

Summary, in English

Atmospheric oxygen (O2) concentrations likely remained below modern levels until the Silurian–Devonian, as indicated by several recent studies. Yet, the background redox state of early Paleozoic oceans remains poorly constrained, hampering our understanding of the relationship between early animal evolution and O2. Here, we present a multi-proxy analysis of redox conditions in the Caledonian foreland basin to Baltica from the early to the mid-Silurian. Our results indicate that anoxic to severely hypoxic bottom waters dominated during deposition of the Silurian sediments cored in the Sommerodde-1 well (Bornholm, Denmark), and regional comparison suggests that these conditions persisted across the Baltoscandian foreland basin. Indeed, even during times of relative oxygenation, ichnological observations indicate that conditions were, at most, very weakly oxic. The results suggest that dissolved O2 was generally scarce in the bottom waters of the extensive Silurian seaway between Baltica and Avalonia, even between Paleozoic “Anoxic Events”. In light of delayed oxygenation of the atmosphere–hydrosphere system, it may be time to consider that early animals were adapted to “hypoxia” and thrived through ∼100 million years of low-O2 conditions after the Cambrian.

Avdelning/ar

  • Molekylär evolution
  • Berggrundsgeologi
  • StemTherapy: National Initiative on Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapy
  • EpiHealth: Epidemiology for Health
  • LUCC: Lunds universitets cancercentrum

Publiceringsår

2023-11-15

Språk

Engelska

Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Volym

622

Dokumenttyp

Artikel i tidskrift

Förlag

Elsevier

Ämne

  • Geology

Nyckelord

  • animal evolution
  • Baltic basin
  • caledonian foreland basin
  • ocean oxygenation
  • redox
  • Silurian

Status

Published

Forskningsgrupp

  • Molecular Evolution

ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt

  • ISSN: 0012-821X