Uncovering the Ediacaran phosphorus cycle

Abstract

Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient that is thought to control oceanic oxygen levels to a large extent1–3. A possible increase in marine phosphorus concentrations during the Ediacaran Period (about 635–539 million years ago) has been proposed as a driver for increasing oxygen levels4–6. However, little is known about the nature and evolution of phosphorus cycling during this time4. Here we use carbonate-associated phosphate (CAP) from six globally distributed sections to reconstruct oceanic phosphorus concentrations during a large negative carbon-isotope excursion—the Shuram excursion (SE)—which co-occurred with global oceanic oxygenation7–9. Our data suggest pulsed increases in oceanic phosph..