Membranes, Metals, and Resource Deposits: A New Perspective on Paleoproterozoic Life Evolution Driven by Geodynamics

Abstract

The early Proterozoic era (ca. 2.5 to 2.0 Ga) represents a critical period during which prokaryotes diversified and initiated their evolutionary transition toward eukaryotes, enabled by the acquisition of aerobic metabolism and efficient energy production. Recent studies have detected phosphorus and molybdenum directly from microfossils of this era, providing geochemical evidence of functional evolution related to cellular membranes and enzyme systems. Underlying this biological innovation was the global scale intensification of igneous activity, including the formation of Earth's earliest supercontinents. Enhanced hydrothermal activity at the seafloor, increased sedimentation rates, and rapid petroleum formation from sedimentary organic matter due to elevated geothermal gradients contributed not only to the formation of resource deposits, but also to significant changes in elemental cycling in the biosphere, potentially, driving early biological evolution. This presentation explores the geochemical relationship between ore formation and biological evolution offering a perspective on how Earth's dynamics influenced the trajectory of early life.