Scientists Challenge Textbook Accounts of Life's Origin and Explosion on Earth
A recently-published study challenges the prevailing scientific theory that an influx of oxygen into Earth's oceans accelerated the evolution of complex life during the Precambrian Avalon explosion. Researchers mapped the geochemical makeup of ancient rock samples and found that there was likely less oxygen in Earth's oceans at the time of the explosion than previously believed. The study suggests that textbooks need to be revised to reflect this new understanding and that lower levels of oxygen may have actually facilitated the development of multicellular organisms.
