The Cambrian explosion is another sharp rise of biodiversity.
The increase in the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere of the Earth over 400 million years ago contributed to the explosive growth in the number of species of living organisms. To such conclusion the group of scientists under the direction of David Fica (David ‘ cause baby, there) from the University of Washington. About it reported in a press release on the website Phys.org.
The researchers analyzed carbonate rocks, which were formed during the middle and late Ordovician period (485-443 million years ago). Geologists have found that during this period there was almost an 80% increase in the level of oxygen. Prior to this, his share in the air was 14 percent, after 24 percent.
Around the same time — a little over 445 million years ago — biodiversity has increased threefold. This explosive growth is called the great Ordovician biodiversification.
According to scientists, the results show that after the Cambrian explosion, the oxygen content remained low and reached modern values of only a few tens of millions of years. Increasing the level of oxygen in the oceans caused the emergence of new types of living organisms.
The Cambrian explosion is another sharp rise of biodiversity. During it (about 540 million years ago) there main types of modern animals.
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