Shaping modern Earth, from Cryogenian extreme ice-ages to the Cambrian explosion

• Grant number: 24/08023-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Marly Babinski
• Grantee: Marly Babinski
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Juliana de Moraes Leme Basso ; Ricardo Ivan Ferreira da Trindade
• Associated researchers: Alan David Rooney ; Augusto Ernesto Rapalini ; Bernardo Tavares Freitas ; Catherine Rose ; Daniele Cornellio de Paiva Caldeira Brandt ; Dermeval Aparecido Do Carmo ; Douglas Galante ; Elton Luiz Dantas ; Eric Siciliano Rego ; Filipe Altoé Temporim ; Gustavo Macedo de Paula Santos ; Huan Cui ; Jacinta Enzweiler ; Jairo Francisco Savian ; James Daniel Schiffbauer ; João Pedro Torrezani Martins Hippertt ; Johanna Salminen ; Kamilla Borges Amorim ; Leonardo Uieda ; Magali Ader ; Marcel Guillong ; Maria Ovtcharova ; Matheus Henrique Kuchenbecker do Amaral ; Pierre Sansjofre ; Roger Fu ; Rolando Esteban Clavijo Arcos ; Sergio Caetano Filho ; Shuhai Xiao ; Simone Antonia Kasemann ; Wyn Williams

Abstract

The Neoproterozoic era, spanning from 720 to 539 million years ago, was marked by profound transformations in all its envelopes and witnessed the emergence and diversification of metazoan life, culminating with the appearance of major animal phyla, in the Cambrian. The Cryogenian period (720-635 Ma) featured extreme glacial epochs and the reemergence of banded iron formations, signaling temporary deep ocean anoxia, while the Ediacaran period (635-539 Ma) saw a surge in atmospheric oxygen levels and the most profoundly negative carbon isotope excursion. Amidst significant continental reconfiguration, with the equatorial supercontinent Rodinia fragmenting and continental landmasses clustering in southern regions, a notable collapse of the Earth's magnetic field occurred, indicating the late initiation of the inner core's crystallization. Despite implied connections between these geological processes and biological innovation, understanding is still hampered by the fragmented nature of the data. To address these gaps, our project proposes comprehensive, high-resolution studies integrating geochronology, paleontology, geochemistry, and paleomagnetism in key sedimentary successions spanning the Cryogenian, Ediacaran, and early Cambrian periods, aiming to unravel complex interactions between local and global changes in seawater chemistry and biosphere evolution. Building on a prior Fapesp Thematic project and the international ICDP-GRIND initiative, the proposal focuses on sedimentary successions in Brazil, Namibia, South China, and Oman to deepen our understanding of sedimentary processes, marine environment, paleogeographic context, and life evolution in this critical interval of time. (AU)