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The Neoproterozoic Era -

The period between one billion and 543 million years ago is known as the Neoproterozoic Era. During this time, Earth existed in a deep freeze.

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The beginnings of complex life -

So-called "Snowball Earth" was not half as hospitable as the planet we inhabit today. However, it did important work in building the foundations for complex life.

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Life on early Earth -

Indeed, it was during this period that the earliest forms of life, such as microbes, cyanobacteria, and seafloor-dwelling organisms, began to populate the oceans.

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Previous theories -

Previously, scientists had attributed this evolutionary advancement to the increased oxygen levels that characterized Earth during this period.

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New research -

According to a new study, however, the flow of ancient glaciers may have been crucial in laying the groundwork for the evolution of complex organisms.

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The role of glaciation -

Scientists have long since suspected that the movement of glaciers, otherwise known as glaciation', may have played a role in the development of early life.

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How it works -

The process of glaciation is known to scrape up nutrients from the Earth’s crust and dump them into oceans, rivers, and lakes.

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The theory -

The theory is that when this happened on Snowball Earth, the oceans were infused with a new set of nutrients, and this gave rise to complex life.

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Key uncertainties -

Until recently, however, this theory had little merit because scientists were not sure how the glaciers during the Neoproterozoic Era moved.

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Understanding ancient glaciers -

In fact, researchers did not know whether the glaciers during this period moved at all, let alone enough to scrape up minerals and deposit them in the ocean.

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The new study -

However, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, the glaciers did in fact move on Snowball Earth.

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Examining sediments -

In looking for evidence of glaciation, the researchers examined sediments from rock formations dating back to the Neoproterozoic Era.

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Zircons -

In particular, they looked at zircons, which are exceptionally durable crystalized minerals that can weather extreme geological events.

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Hothouse Earth -

The researchers compared the sediments dating from this period with sediments dating from a period millions of years later – a period known as 'Hothouse Earth' when all the ice was gone.

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Findings -

They found that the composition of the early sediments differed dramatically from the composition of the later sediments.

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Older sediments -

The sediments from the time of Snowball Earth contained older minerals, but they also featured a range of minerals.

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Interpretation -

According to the study’s authors, this suggests that the rocks were exposed and were eroded over time by the movement of glaciers.

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Exposure to moving glaciers -

These rocks may well serve as evidence, therefore, that the glaciers during the Neoproterozoic Era were on the move.

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Fewer minerals -

The rocks from the time of Hothouse Earth, by contrast, featured a narrower range of minerals. This suggests they were not disturbed by moving glaciers.

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No fragile grains -

Moreover, the younger rocks did not contain any fragile grains. This could indicate that flowing water may have dissolved any material that was previously ground down.

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The estimated timeline -

According to the study’s authors, these results serve as evidence that there were at least two major glaciation events between 720 and 635 million years ago.

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Remaining questions -

Whether or not these glacial movements actually contributed to the origins of complex life remains to be seen, however.

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Remaining questions -

Indeed, experts have questioned whether the minerals poured into the oceans during these glaciation events would have been enough to trigger long-term environmental changes.

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Existing research -

Previous studies have suggested that perhaps glaciation events only cause temporary changes to a given environment.

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Ongoing debate -

The findings from this study are therefore being treated as interesting evidence in an ongoing debate, rather than as the final answer.

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A different application -

The study’s authors are keen to emphasize, however, that their work is also interesting for another reason: it provides valuable insights into contemporary climate change.

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Everything is connected -

If they prove nothing else, the results from this study at least serve as a reminder of how changing one part of our planet affects other parts of it.

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Slow changes to Snowball Earth -

During the time of Snowball Earth, these changes took place at a glacial pace over the course of millions of years.

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Changes on modern Earth -

Compared with this, the changes taking place today because of human-induced climate change are doing so at a dizzying speed.

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Pressing issue -

At such a pace, the Earth’s ability to regulate itself is compromised. We are therefore reminded of the urgency of addressing man-made modern climate change.

Sources: (CNN)

See also: Interesting facts about Earth you might not know

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