Highly fractionated chromium isotopes in Mesoproterozoic-aged shales and atmospheric oxygen

Donald E. Canfield; Shuichang Zhang; Anja B. Frank; Xiaomei Wang; Huajian Wang; Jin Su; Yuntao Ye; Robert Frei

doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05263-9

Nature Communications (Jul 2018)

Highly fractionated chromium isotopes in Mesoproterozoic-aged shales and atmospheric oxygen

Donald E. Canfield,
Shuichang Zhang,
Anja B. Frank,
Xiaomei Wang,
Huajian Wang,
Jin Su,
Yuntao Ye,
Robert Frei

Affiliations

Donald E. Canfield: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation
Shuichang Zhang: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation
Anja B. Frank: Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen
Xiaomei Wang: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation
Huajian Wang: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation
Jin Su: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation
Yuntao Ye: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation
Robert Frei: Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05263-9
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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There is a long standing debate whether low atmospheric oxygen levels during the Mesoproterozoic Era hindered the evolution of crown-group animals. Here, the authors show with shale-hosted chromium isotopes that sufficient atmospheric oxygen for crown-group animals likely predated their evolution by over 400 million years.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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