New Theory: Earth’s Longer Days Kick-Started Oxygen Growth
Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer.
- Published
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Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer. A study published Monday proposes and puts to the test the theory that longer, continuous daylight kick-started weird bacteria into producing lots of oxygen, making most of life as we know it possible. They dredged up gooey purple bacteria from a deep sinkhole in Lake Huron and tinkered with how much light it got…