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Life on Earth already survived one transition from an anoxic environment to an oxygen-rich environment, I see no reason to expect that it could not make the tra
by woeirua 6y ago
Life on Earth already survived one transition from an anoxic environment to an oxygen-rich environment, I see no reason to expect that it could not make the transition back to an anoxic environment. Granted it may not look anything like the life we're accustomed to today, but I suspect life will exist on Earth in some way, shape, or form for a long time to come.
- tabtab 6y agoFor simple life-forms, perhaps, but complex life probably requires rather special or rare circumstances. In areas of Earth low in oxygen, the life-forms there are similar to ediacaran fauna: slow and soft. Increases in oxygen are probably a key cause of the Cambrian explosion. Perhaps it's possible there is another high-metabolism cycle that doesn't involve much oxygen, but nobody really knows both if a pathway exists, and if evolution can "find" it in time. Any biochemists here who want to weigh in?