Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation
Abstract Several pulses of ocean oxygenation events were recognized in the Ediacaran period. However, the intrinsic triggers behind them remain ambiguous. Here we report phosphorus speciation data from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, South China, to elucidate the role of recycled phosphorus in d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02463-2 |
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| author | Dongtao Xu Xinqiang Wang Eva E. Stüeken Weiming Xu Zheng Qin Jihua Hao Xiaoying Shi Dongjie Tang |
| author_facet | Dongtao Xu Xinqiang Wang Eva E. Stüeken Weiming Xu Zheng Qin Jihua Hao Xiaoying Shi Dongjie Tang |
| author_sort | Dongtao Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Several pulses of ocean oxygenation events were recognized in the Ediacaran period. However, the intrinsic triggers behind them remain ambiguous. Here we report phosphorus speciation data from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, South China, to elucidate the role of recycled phosphorus in driving ocean oxygenation. High ratios of organic carbon to organic phosphorus in all samples relative to the Redfield ratio generally imply preferential release of phosphorus during the remineralization of organic matter. Notably, ratios of organic carbon to reactive phosphorus exceed the Redfield ratio during purported oxygenation intervals, but fall mostly below or close to the Redfield ratio in the rest of the section. Quantitative calculations suggest that enhanced benthic and water-column recycling created a phosphorus influx into the ocean that was comparable to or outpaced that of weathering input. Our study provides empirical evidence for untangling the mechanisms of the Ediacaran oxygenation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-106cd892f83c492caf75d0eb82b0902f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-106cd892f83c492caf75d0eb82b0902f2025-08-20T02:37:36ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-06-01611710.1038/s43247-025-02463-2Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenationDongtao Xu0Xinqiang Wang1Eva E. Stüeken2Weiming Xu3Zheng Qin4Jihua Hao5Xiaoying Shi6Dongjie Tang7State Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, China University of Geosciences (Beijing)State Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, China University of Geosciences (Beijing)School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St AndrewsCAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of GeosciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, China University of Geosciences (Beijing)State Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, China University of Geosciences (Beijing)Abstract Several pulses of ocean oxygenation events were recognized in the Ediacaran period. However, the intrinsic triggers behind them remain ambiguous. Here we report phosphorus speciation data from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, South China, to elucidate the role of recycled phosphorus in driving ocean oxygenation. High ratios of organic carbon to organic phosphorus in all samples relative to the Redfield ratio generally imply preferential release of phosphorus during the remineralization of organic matter. Notably, ratios of organic carbon to reactive phosphorus exceed the Redfield ratio during purported oxygenation intervals, but fall mostly below or close to the Redfield ratio in the rest of the section. Quantitative calculations suggest that enhanced benthic and water-column recycling created a phosphorus influx into the ocean that was comparable to or outpaced that of weathering input. Our study provides empirical evidence for untangling the mechanisms of the Ediacaran oxygenation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02463-2 |
| spellingShingle | Dongtao Xu Xinqiang Wang Eva E. Stüeken Weiming Xu Zheng Qin Jihua Hao Xiaoying Shi Dongjie Tang Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation |
| title_full | Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation |
| title_fullStr | Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation |
| title_short | Enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to Ediacaran ocean oxygenation |
| title_sort | enhanced phosphorus regeneration linked to ediacaran ocean oxygenation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02463-2 |
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