Study Explains Role of Ancient Supermountains in Evolution of Life on Earth

According to a recent study by experts at The Australian National University, giant mountain ranges at least as high as the Himalayas and reaching up to 8,000 kilometers over whole supercontinents played a critical role in the evolution of early life on Earth.

The researchers followed the construction of these supermountains throughout Earth's history using traces of zircon with low lutetium concentration.

According to Science Direct, this combination of mineral and rare earth element can only be found in the roots of high mountains where they originate under severe pressure.

Studying Supermountains

The most massive of these supermountains only developed twice in Earth's history, first between 2,000 and 1,800 million years ago and again between 650 and 500 million years ago. As per Scitech Daily, during the development of supercontinents, both mountain ranges ascended.

The study's lead author, ANU PhD candidate Ziyi Zhu, believes there are connections between these two supermountain occurrences and Earth's two most crucial phases of development.

"Today, nothing compares to these two supermountains. It's not simply their size - picture the 2,400-kilometer-long Himalayas repeated three or four times to get a sense of enormity," she added.

The Nuna Supermountain is the name given to the first example. It is said to be when eukaryotes, the creatures that subsequently gave rise to plants and animals, first appeared.

The Transgondwanan Supermountain, the second, corresponds to the advent of the first giant creatures 575 million years ago and the Cambrian explosion 45 million years later when most animal groups emerged in the fossil record.

"What's astonishing is the complete record of mountain formation over time is so clear," said co-author Professor Jochen Brocks. "It depicts two massive spikes, one associated with the advent of animals and the other with the formation of complicated large cells."

Related Article: How Does Human-Driven Climate Change Affect the Highest Peak of Mt Everest

Releasing Essential Elements

When the mountains eroded, they released vital elements such as phosphorus and iron into the waters, supercharging biological cycles and accelerating development.

The supermountains may have also increased the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere required for complex life to breathe.

There was practically no oxygen in the early Earth's atmosphere. Ms. Zhu explained that atmospheric oxygen levels are assumed to have grown in a sequence of phases, two of which correspond with the supermountains.

The increase in atmospheric oxygen caused by the erosion of the Transgondwanan Supermountain is the biggest in Earth's history, and it was a precondition for the emergence of animals.

Needing More Studies

(Photo : Getty Images)

There is no evidence of any additional supermountains growing between these two periods, making them all the more remarkable.

"The Boring Billion" refers to the period between 1,800 and 800 million years ago when evolution was slow or non-existent.

He said that the absence of supermountains during that time period is thought to have slowed evolution by decreasing the flow of nutrients to the seas.  Using markers can better comprehend the development of early, life.

Also Read: Researchers Revealed How the Earth Got More Hostile as it Evolved  

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