Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
EVOLUTION: When Did Photosynthesis Emerge on Earth?
David J. Des Marais
Life began early in Earth's history, but it was the emergence of photosynthesis that allowed its proliferation across the planet, because it freed life from its sole dependence on abiotic chemical sources of reducing power. Des Marais discusses recent geological and molecular biological evidence, such as the paper by Xiong et al., that photosynthesis emerged at least 2,800 million years ago.
The author is at NASA Ames Research Center,Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA. E-mail: ddesmarais{at}mail.arc.nasa.gov
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:
In Science Magazine
LETTERS
Kenneth M. Towe; and David J. Des Marais (19 January 2001) Science291 (5503), 436.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.291.5503.436] |Full Text »
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Jin Xiong, William M. Fischer, Kazuhito Inoue, Masaaki Nakahara, and Carl E. Bauer (8 September 2000) Science289 (5485), 1724.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.289.5485.1724] |Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Superoxide Generation by Chlorophyllide a Reductase of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.
E.-J. Kim, J.-S. Kim, I.-H. Lee, H. J. Rhee, and J. K. Lee (2008)
J. Biol. Chem.
283, 3718-3730
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
The effect of oxygen on biochemical networks and the evolution of complex life..
