We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 September 2021
The continuation of life on Earth relies on the Earth System maintaining planetary conditions in an equilibrium suitable for its continuation. But the Earth System did not just spring into existence – it developed slowly as complex life evolved and modern-style ecosystems appeared. In this chapter I review the history of early life, beginning with the oldest Snowball Earth event (about 700 million years ago) through to the Cambrian Explosion (about 480 million years ago). A field trip down Brachina Creek in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia that start in the early Cambrian and ends at the boundary of the Cryogenian and Ediacaran Periods sets the scene for the discussion. Intimately associated with the evolution of complex organisms and the appearance of the Earth System is the story of oxygen. This history of this important gas and its role in the evolution of life is briefly reviewed.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
