Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
Published on: January 31, 2025
How did the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis influence the temporal and spatial development of the microbial iron
Manuel Schad1, Kurt O Konhauser2, Patricia Sánchez-Baracaldo3
1Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Iron is the most abundant redox active metal on Earth and thus provides one of the most important records of the redox state of Earth's ancient atmosphere, oceans and landmasses over geological time. The most dramatic shifts in the Earth's iron cycle occurred during the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere. However, tracking the spatial and temporal development of the iron cycle is complicated by uncertainties about both the timing and location of the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, and by the myriad of microbial processes that act to cycle iron between redox states. In this review, we piece together the geological evidence to assess where and when oxygenic photosynthesis likely evolved, and attempt to evaluate the influence of this innovation on the microbial iron cycle.
Related Concept Videos
Oxygenic Photosynthesis
What is Photosynthesis?
What is Photosynthesis?
Types of Organisms Based on their Modes of Nutrition
Broadly, there are two main categories of organisms based on their modes of nutrition — autotrophs and...
The Evidence for Evolution
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: pH
The Carbon Cycle

