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Plankton Key to Origin of Earth's First Breathable Atmosphere


February 21, 2011

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Researchers studying the origin of Earth's first breathable atmosphere have zeroed in on the major role played by some very unassuming creatures: plankton. In a paper to appear in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ohio State University researcher Matthew Saltzman and his colleagues show how plankton provided a critical link between the atmosphere and chemical isotopes stored in rocks 500 million years ago.Full Story

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Ohio State University

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