New research challenges that concept though, by showing that high levels of oxygen aren’t that unlikely. The key ingredient that has been missing from these prior models is phosphorus ...

Burrowing animals may have been key to stabilizing Earth's oxygen Date: August 6, 2014 Source: University of Southern Denmark Summary: Evolution of the first burrowing animals may have played a ...

Nonetheless, all organisms are built from the same six essential elemental ingredients: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur (CHNOPS). Why those elements? To find out ...

Instead, the circulation of carbon dioxide, oxygen and phosphorus between Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, rocks and the simplest of photosynthesizing life forms is sufficient to produce the dramatic ...