Reevaluating the nutrient timeline: Francevillian basin geochemistry reveals early permissive conditions for eukaryotic life
Anna El Khoury·Abderrazak El Albani·Andrea Somogyi·Ernest Chi Fru·Mathias Harzhauser·Claude Fontaine·Christian Aupissy·Ibtissam Chraiki
• Geochemical data reveal nutrient- and oxygen-rich seawater in the 2.1 Ga Francevillian Basin. • Paleoproterozoic phosphate and zinc levels rivaled or exceeded those of Cambrian oceans. • Key chemical conditions for complex life existed over a billion years earlier than thought. • Nutrient-rich window coincides with Francevillian macrobiota, challenging evolutionary and environmental timelines. Environmental thresholds of oxygen and nutrients have played a pivotal role in shaping the timing and