Ediacaran drastic environmental changes and animal evolution: achievement from integrated sciences for the Earth's history(<Special issue>the deep structure and tectonic processes of inland basins, central Japan)

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  • KANO Akihiro
    Kyushu Branch, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University
  • FURUYAMA Seishiro
    Institute of Geology and Geoinformation, Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

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  • エディアカラ紀の環境激変と動物進化 : 地球史統合科学の成果(<特集>地球史統合科学)
  • エディアカラ紀の環境激変と動物進化 : 地球史統合科学の成果
  • エディアカラキ ノ カンキョウ ゲキヘン ト ドウブツ シンカ : チキュウシ トウゴウ カガク ノ セイカ

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Our understanding on the Earth's history has been improved by integration of biology, geochemistry, and geology on the background of rapid progress of analytical technologies. The integrated scope has especially clarified pictures of the Ediacaran Period in the latest Precambrian during the last 25 years. Accurate zircon U-Pb dates, a series of fossil discoveries, and high-resolution isotopic stratigraphy using boring cores together indicate that the Ediacaran was a period of drastic environmental change and animal evolution. Integration of new knowledge finds a close association between the animal multicellurality and the ocean stratification after the Marinoan Snowball glaciation. Massive phytoplankton produced in the warm and low-density shallow water formed a huge reservoir at the density gradient above the high-salinity deep water. In order to feed this organic carbon reservoir, some zooplankton chose to colonize on sea bottom where the oxygen concentration was somehow depleted. This novel habit stimulated the animal multicellurality, and evolution of primitive sponges and cnidarians. Since the Gaskiers glaciation at 580 Ma, the increased oxygen in ocean and atmosphere induced the animal diversification and mobility that resulted in the increased predation pressure. The Cambrian Explosion occurred shortly after this innovation.

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