Study Reveals Bacteria Used Oxygen Nearly 900 Million Years Before Earth's Great Oxidation Event

When anaerobes encounter oxygen: mechanisms of oxygen toxicity, tolerance and defence

The defining trait of obligate anaerobes is that oxygen blocks their growth, yet the underlying mechanisms are unclear. A popular hypothesis was that these microorganisms failed to evolve defences to protect themselves from reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, and that this failure is what prevents their expansion to oxic habitats. However, studies reveal that anaerobes actually wield most of the same defences …

1 trillion species, 3 billion years: AI finds ancient bacteria used oxygen long before Earth had it

The planet Earth thawed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. The Moon was created when a Mars-sized object crashed. If there was life at that time, it likely was eradicated.

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Scientists have helped to construct a detailed timeline for bacterial evolution, suggesting some bacteria used oxygen long before evolving the ability to produce it through photosynthesis.

A geological timescale for bacterial evolution and oxygen adaptation

Oxygen Metabolism Emerged on Earth Before The Great Oxidation Event, Study Reveals

The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) some 2.4 billion years ago established the oxygen-rich atmosphere that many living things depend on today.Curiously, when it came to evolving ways to actively use the element for respiration, some strains of bacteria had a head start. Using a combination of bacterial genome data, geological markers, and machine learning techniques designed to spot genetic patterns, an international team of researchers searched…