Biomarker Evidence for Photosynthesis During Neoproterozoic Glaciation

Laterally extensive black shales were deposited on the São Francisco craton in southeastern Brazil during low-latitude Neoproterozoic glaciation ∼740 to 700 million years ago. These rocks contain up to 3.0 weight % organic carbon, which we interpret as representing the preserved record of abundant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Olcott, Alison N., Sessions, Alex L., Corsetti, Frank A., Kaufman, Alan J., de Oliviera, Tolentino Flavio
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2005
Subjects:
Sea ice
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1115769
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1115769
Description
Summary:Laterally extensive black shales were deposited on the São Francisco craton in southeastern Brazil during low-latitude Neoproterozoic glaciation ∼740 to 700 million years ago. These rocks contain up to 3.0 weight % organic carbon, which we interpret as representing the preserved record of abundant marine primary productivity from glacial times. Extractable biomarkers reflect a complex and productive microbial ecosystem, including both phototrophic bacteria and eukaryotes, living in a stratified ocean with thin or absent sea ice, oxic surface waters, and euxinic conditions within the photic zone. Such an environment provides important constraints for parts of the “Snowball Earth” hypothesis.

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