Emerging Biogeochemical Views of Earth's Ancient Microbial Worlds
Emerging Biogeochemical Views of Earth's Ancient Microbial Worlds
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DOI：
10.2113/gselements.11.6.415
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发表时间：
2015-12-01
期刊：
影响因子：
4.5
通讯作者：
Zerkle, Aubrey
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lyons, Timothy W.;Fike, David A.;Zerkle, Aubrey
今天，微生物过程主导着地球表面及其附近的地球化学循环。在过去，微生物的作用甚至更大，在地球历史的最初90%，微生物是占主导地位的生命形式。它们的代谢途径大多起源于数十亿年前，既是最高级别环境变化的原因，也是最高级别环境变化的影响，例如海洋和大气中首次积累的氧气。微生物过程会留下各种不同的地球化学指纹，这些指纹可以完好无损地保存数十亿年。这些被岩石束缚的签名现在正在指导我们理解生命是如何与早期地球上的环境共同进化的，并指导我们在宇宙中的其他地方寻找生命。
Microbial processes dominate geochemical cycles at and near the Earth's surface today. Their role was even greater in the past, with microbes being the dominant life form for the first 90% of Earth's history. Most of their metabolic pathways originated billions of years ago as both causes and effects of environmental changes of the highest order, such as the first accumulation of oxygen in the oceans and atmosphere. Microbial processes leave behind diverse geochemical fingerprints that can remain intact for billions of years. These rock-bound signatures are now steering our understanding of how life coevolved with the environments on early Earth and are guiding our search for life elsewhere in the universe.