Breath of Life: Modest Oxygen Boost Sparked Earth’s Major Evolutionary Leap, Study Finds
Southampton, England — Recent findings by a global research team link a modest rise in oxygen levels to one of Earth’s most significant evolutionary events: the Cambrian explosion. This period, occurring roughly 540 million years ago, marked a rapid expansion in the diversity of life forms. Traditionally attributed to a significant oxygen increase, the new study suggests the shift was instead triggered by smaller, more gradual changes in Earth’s atmosphere. The Cambrian explosion is one …