Anaerobe to Aerobe- How Oxygen Changed Life on Earth Forever | GEO GIRL

What did early life use to metabolize if not oxygen respiration? In this video, I talk about all the compounds that non-oxygen loving life uses for their metabolism and how early life was affected by the build up of molecular oxygen (O2) on Earth. Alone, oxygen was toxic to most (if not all) life at the time, but oxygen also reacted with other chemicals to form more materials for this life to use in their metabolism (so it had both bad and good effects on life). This shift in the compounds available for life caused shifts in the C, S, and N cycles, in some cases even leading to the evolution of new types of metabolisms/organisms. Eventually, organisms evolved to use oxygen itself, which led to larger, more complex organisms due to the higher energy yield allowed by oxygen respiration (as long as they had the necessary enzymes to protect themselves from the harmful oxidant byproducts: antioxidants). This expanded the metabolic redox cycle maintained by oxidizing organisms and reducing organisms. But because oxygen releasing organisms (photosynthesizing cyanobacteria) dominated so greatly, they shifted the balance of this cycle toward more oxygen production that couldn't be balanced by reducing organisms, which led to the great oxidation event (GOE). The consequence of the GOE was one of the greatest mass extinctions of all time due to the toxicity of oxygen to organisms living at this time. But another mass extinction was caused at the time by the over consumption of nutrients (such as phosphorous) leading to extinctions among primary producers (photosynthesizing oxygen producers, cyanobacteria). In other words NOBODY was safe! Every type of organism underwent extinctions during this time. Thankfully, life recovered and re-balanced the cycles, and eventually (over a billion years later) oxygen allowed large eukaryotic animals to evolve (which eventually led to us!).
References: Geomicrobiology: amzn.to/2WAloTR
Earth System History: amzn.to/3v1Iy0G
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Non-textbook books I recommend:
Oxygen by D. Canfield: amzn.to/3gffbCL
Brief history of Earth by A. Knoll: amzn.to/3w3hC1I
Life on young planet by A. Knoll: amzn.to/2RBMpny
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Your inner fish by N. Shubin: amzn.to/3cpw3Wb
Oxygen by N. Lane: amzn.to/3z4FgwZ
Alien Oceans by K. Hand: amzn.to/3clMx1l
Life's Engines: amzn.to/3w1Nhke
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0:00 First Organisms on Earth
1:50 Change in S & C cycles
4:18 Change in N cycle
6:57 Higher Energy Yield of O2 Respiration
8:54 New Aerobic Metabolisms
9:46 Metabolic Redox Cycle
11:55 Imbalanced Cycle Caused GOE
13:52 Oxygen Caused Mass Extinction
16:13 A 2nd Mass Extinction (Feast to Famine)
19:03 Ozone Layer Protected Land Life
19:51 Sulfide Producers Kept Oceans Anoxic
22:32 Oxygen Allowed Eukaryote Evolution
23:52 Related videos & references
Disclaimer: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission, but there is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week! And as always, let me know your topic suggestions in the comments down below!

[@tedetienne7639]

For most videos, you’re “GEO GIRL”. For this one, you’re “GOE GIRL”. Very well done!

[@GEOGIRL]

I love that 'GOE GIRL' haha! Thank you :D

[@jeffk8019]

Great video Geo Girl! I don't comment on videos too often but I needed to tell you many in the audience really appreciate the detailed explanations. Please keep up the good work. I'm a chemist by profession and this was fascinating.

[@GEOGIRL]

Wow! It is such an honor to get such a complimentary comment from a real chemist, thank you! I have always love chemistry and am working on my PhD in biogeochemistry right now, but I have been trained as a geologist first and foremost, so chemistry has come a bit harder to me. That's why it is so nice for me to have you watching and validating my videos, thank you! :)

[@jeffk8019]

@@GEOGIRL My pleasure! I hope your channel grows leaps and bounds.

[@Smilo-the-Sabertooth]

The topic of this video just reminds me of the song “The Air that I Breath” by The Hollies, a really beautiful song. Oh the crazy changes that life goes through in this big crazy world, it’s nothing short of remarkable. 🌎💚🌍💙🌏

[@GEOGIRL]

Couldn't agree more! With every video I do, I become more impressed with Earth and life on Earth and just everthing that has happened on this amazing planet! I thought eventually my passion for this topic may wane, but it has only grown!

[@Smilo-the-Sabertooth]

@@GEOGIRL Very true and I personally believe that there is no better place to learn more about this big amazing planet than here with you and your always outstanding and never disappointing videos on your incredible educational channel. You really are the best, my favorite teacher and friend. 😉❤️😊👍

[@Smilo-the-Sabertooth]

@@GEOGIRL Oh and by the way, Happy 4th of July my friend!!! 🎆🎇

[@ManguKing]

I am utterly impressed by how you are creating a channel based on knowledge and just proper information. You could have gone the easy route of using your beuty to gain a ton of simps fast, but you choose your own path. I tip my hat

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you! haha I appreciate that you appreciate my information based approach ;)

[@stevenbaumann8692]

As you know I study mostly the Paleoproterozoic and the bounding 200 million years or so. But I’m a tectonic /structural / geochronology guy. I know nothing about life. So I appreciate your videos.

[@GEOGIRL]

Oh thank you! Well I appreciate what your knowledge on tectonics/structure because that is definitely not my strength hahaha

[@hdufort]

Another great subject (and very nice visually) is how the GOE kickstarted mineral evolution on the earth's crust. Nearly half the minerals that exist today didn't exist before the GOE. This was a radical change in chemistry, and not just for lifeforms! In a way, life is responsible for the existence of the most exquisite minerals, that formed due to the water-oxygen chemistry.

[@GEOGIRL]

Oh yea! That's a great topic for a video! Especially for a Geo channel, can't believe I haven't made that video yet haha! Thanks ;D

[@lethargogpeterson4083]

Thank you for the simple summary of reduction, oxidation, and electron donors at @2:25. It is appreciated.

[@PedroBigeriego]

Another great video Rachel, thank you! When I think about Evolution by Natural Selection cannot find a better example as when the Earths atmosphere and oceans changed from reductant to oxidant. The environmental rules on the whole Planet changed so dramatically that drove new adaptations to evolve (or be pre-adapted) and take advantage of the new oxygenic conditions...otherwise be relegated to anoxic niches...or perish for ever!

[@mariodegroote6756]

all those little hard working nameles heroes, a fitting honouring with proper respect, hard work, amazing world we live in, and more amazing how it came to be like how it is.

[@GEOGIRL]

You give me too much credit😊 Thank you so much for the support and kind words!

[@oisnowy5368]

I find it pretty logical that protective enzymes predate respiration; after all oxygen was released in chemical reactions. That oxygen doesn't magically leave the lifeforms that freed it up chemically. Those lifeforms still had to deal with getting rid of the oxygen.

[@viaman1386]

It's sad how not too many watching your great videos, I subscribed and I hitted the like button *.*

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you for the support! I hope in time more will come and hopefully learn from these videos, but in the meantime I am just grateful to have such a wonderfully engaged audience :D

[@raihanulhaider6601]

As you said in your latest microbs video that it's your favourite one, I watched it togatger with redox tower video. So vivid presentation. About a month ago i looked up google about what is the biggest and smallest piece of rock out of curiosity. that search brought me to geo girl. By now almost all videos your channel is watched. It feels like i see the world meaningfull. Gratitude.

[@GEOGIRL]

Wow that is awesome, thank you so much for the comment and for giving the microbe videos a watch! Most of my audience doesn't like the microbe videos as much haha ;)

[@raihanulhaider6601]

@@GEOGIRL Most audience collect and enjoy additional information in respective field. I am not exception either. :)

[@donaldbrizzolara7720]

Indeed oxygen is good and at present its just the right balance for our atmosphere, but, hypothetically, what if it were to increase, say doubled, what impact would that have for life on earth? Excellent video Rachel!

[@GEOGIRL]

What an intriguing question! I have thought about this before but never enough to look into a potential answer, this would make an excellent video assuming I can find enough concrete research and answers on it haha, thanks for the comment!

[@yancgc5098]

Plants and Cyanobacteria would have to go crazy with oxygen production and carbon burial with plants and soil specifically, to a point where CO2 levels would be the lowest it’s ever have been, causing a Snowball Earth period or at the very least a Carboniferous Rainforest collapse 2.0 Too much oxygen is bad, too much CO2 is bad. I’d say 21% oxygen and 350 ppm of CO2 is the perfect balance imo.

[@johnnyrepine937]

Dr. Strange[life] or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love [Oxygen]

[@edmolash3401]

Your ability to talk nonstop for so long is amazing.

[@BillySugger1965]

Wow! I’ve been waiting for a good video on the GOE. Thank you!

[@caspasesumo]

Awesome video! I didn't realize how long I've been waiting for such a great explanation of this Oxygen good guy/bad guy story. Thank you so much for making it available to us. Do you think crustal formation played any role in Biome diversification?

[@GEOGIRL]

You are very welcome! And Oooo what a good question! I will have to look into that, I have no idea, but my gut is telling me yes, probably! haha I think that will make a great video, thanks for that idea :D

[@thomassimmer5186]

Love your show. The concept of a reducing environment shaping life from the beginning is challenged by Nick Lane. He notes that UV light hitting water leads to H2O2 and molecular hydrogen. Much of the hydrogen is lost from the atmosphere and reactive forms of oxygen form an important part of the environment. Admittedly, it wouldn't have affected life in the vents, but need for antioxidant enzymes was a very early requirement as life expanded beyond the vents. Photosynthesis would have died from their own oxygen production if they didn't already have the capacity to manage it. I am not an expert and may have gotten this wrong.

[@sagartimalsina1776]

I love geo girl❤️

[@hattereggburn9279]

Nice informative video, thanks! There’s a recent paper that shows two big jumps in oxygen in the history of earth’s atmosphere, both happening at global glaciations. Archaean very low O2 levels stepped up at the Huronian glaciation 2.5 billion years ago to late Proterozoic levels and again at the Cryogenian 800-600 million years ago, to reach the present level of 21% The paper also shows how between these step ups due to snowball earth glaciation, O2 is kept at stable plateau levels by feedbacks and emergent homeostasis. Anyway - see what you think: Laakso TA, Schrag DP. Geobiology 2017 May;15(3):366-384.

[@georgefspicka5483]

Hi Rachael : ) I'm only now just catching up with this presentation. Like times before, I already knew a little about what was going on, but you've overwhelmed me many tons worth of information, which is good for me, because I can always go back and review. What puzzles me, is that with a 90% rate, this has to be one of Earth's greatest extinction events, but it seems to always get omitted when people talk about the "Big Five." Do you think it's because they can't count any higher? ; ) If we do count it, we have six major events. If the predicted Anthropocene Extinction comes to pass, then there will be seven!

[@romanregman1469]

Awaiting the day when Fluoride -based life arises. Imagine how much more fun life would be on the Ultimate fluori/oxy -dation agent?

[@girishkumarverma5863]

Beautiful

[@a.randomjack6661]

It's a really complex evolution from inert matter to Life, and even moreover to complex life... I wonder how improbable this all is. Merci Geo Girl et bon dimanche.

[@GEOGIRL]

De rien! Thanks for the comment and kind wishes! ;)

[@scambammer6102]

well it happened so very probable

[@ramchauhan5238]

Very nice video..👌👌🙃🙃

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you! I really enjoyed making this one, it's such a interdisciplinary topic :D I am glad you enjoyed it!

[@ramchauhan5238]

@@GEOGIRL most welcome..🙃🙃

[@NlKl420]

So good 😮🌈

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you! ;D

[@princeshukla7661]

Love from INDIA

[@hoibsh21]

Love is like Oxygen You get too much you get too high. Not enough and yr gonna die Love gets you high!

[@scambammer6102]

Sweet! Finally something I understand.

[@Get_to_the_Point]

I love O2 ! My compost decomposes more quickly with O2 also (o: But this vid was a little over my head )o:

[@GEOGIRL]

Haha, I apologize, this one was a bit more advanced than I go with my normal historical geology videos

[@Get_to_the_Point]

@@GEOGIRL lol

[@1ntwndrboy198]

Well from what I understand there are humic and fulvic acid that are biomass that has degraded to its fullest extent. It has the ability to carry the anion and cat ions to fungi and plant life making it a catalyst between the two symbiotic relationships this would not occur until there was enough bio Life to biodegrade that far. Thus making it take a lot longer than we would see in today's world.

[@tonytaskforce3465]

If the Good Lord had meant us to breath oxygen, he would have given us lungs.

[@JessiV111]

I was just wondering , Doesn’t the Bible say something about the devil being the prince of air ? I’m not like an expert or anything but j find it interesting 🤨 Oxygen being this big change The devil being the prince of air . Curious connection

[@lynsmith3154]

A little confusion for me: You had SRB in the text without ever seemingly identifying it. Some time later it was verbally identified as Sulphate Reducing Bacteria.

[@GEOGIRL]

Sorry, I should've written it on the slide, I just said it verbally when I first showed them at 2:12, but next time I'll write it out! ;)

[@johnvl6358]

❤

[@1ntwndrboy198]

Isn't it oxygen that's up in our atmosphere that protects us from all the real strong radiation from space? Would this not affect life on Earth?

[@GEOGIRL]

It absolutely would, that's why all life lived under the protection of water early on, then once enough oxygen was produced to form ozone, life could live unprotected at Earth's surface. Some bacteria, however, had already adapted ways to protect themselves from UV radiation on the surface of early Earth, such as secreting mineral coverings that absorbed the UV light, which I talk about in my biomineralization videos :)

[@tosehoed123]

@@GEOGIRL cool defense mechanism

[@GEOGIRL]

@@tosehoed123 I know right!

[@princeshukla7661]

Hello geo girl

[@ramchauhan5238]

Hii geo girl

[@JoesFirewoodVideos]

I hate Oxygen I ❤️ GEO GIRL

[@GEOGIRL]

Oh no! Why hate oxygen?? haha

[@edgeofsanity9111]

Ok, cool But what about archaea? Where did they stand in all this? Have they suffered from this event in any way? Did halobacteria exist already to contribute to this? Or any other oxygen emitting archaea?

[@ramchauhan5238]

How are you?

[@GEOGIRL]

I am doing great, you? ;)

[@ramchauhan5238]

@@GEOGIRLiam very well .. 🙃🙃

[@mp-qh1um]

do you exists? beautiful with a outstanding brain and like to share, now i m fulfilled:)

[@JessiV111]

Isn’t this Biblical ?

[@vinigretzky97]

Really nice to listen to as a podcast. Have been looking some time for something accessible yet educating and this perfectly fits my knowledge deficits. Would love to hear your voice a bit better, though. Any chance of an equipment upgrade in the future?

[@princeshukla7661]

How are you ?

[@GEOGIRL]

Hi there! I am doing very well, you? :)

[@princeshukla7661]

@@GEOGIRL everything is f9