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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Medium Preparation for the Cultivation of Microorganisms under Strictly Anaerobic/Anoxic Conditions
06:17

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Published on: August 15, 2019

Early anaerobic metabolisms.

Don E Canfield1, Minik T Rosing, Christian Bjerrum

  • 1Nordic Centre for Earth Evolution (NordCEE) and Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark. dec@biology.sdu.dk

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|September 30, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Early Earth

Area of Science:

  • Astrobiology
  • Geochemistry
  • Microbial Ecology

Background:

  • The early biosphere predated oxygenic photosynthesis and relied on anaerobic metabolisms.
  • Understanding early Earth's energy sources is crucial for reconstructing its ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To catalogue and quantify electron donors and acceptors fueling early ecosystems.
  • To assess the activity levels of various proposed early biosphere metabolisms.
  • To compare primary production rates in early anaerobic and marine environments.

Main Methods:

  • Quantification of source strengths for electron donors and acceptors.
  • Analysis of microbial cycling of sulfur and nitrogen species.
  • Calculation of marine primary production rates at 3.8 billion years ago.

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Main Results:

  • Early ecosystems were likely dominated by hydrogen (H2) and iron (Fe2+) cycling via anoxygenic phototrophs.
  • Sulfur and nitrogen cycling supported dynamic but less active ecosystems.
  • Marine primary production at 3.8 Gyr was significantly lower than today, potentially an order of magnitude less.
  • The flux of reduced species could sustain active anaerobic ecosystems consistent with carbon isotope records.
  • Oxygenic photosynthesis was plausible if oxygen was efficiently removed by reduced mantle species.

Conclusions:

  • Early Earth's biosphere was primarily anaerobic, driven by specific geochemical cycles.
  • Primary production rates were generally lower than modern marine environments.
  • The carbon isotope record supports the proposed mechanisms for early anaerobic ecosystem activity.
  • The potential for oxygenic photosynthesis existed under specific conditions of oxygen scavenging.