Early life used oxygen earlier than believed

New evidence from MIT geobiologists suggests that early life forms utilized oxygen hundreds of millions of years before the Great Oxidation Event, a pivotal period around 2.3 billion years ago. By analyzing enzyme sequences, the research team found indications of oxygen-using capabilities in much earlier organisms. This discovery challenges existing timelines for the evolution of aerobic respiration and its impact on Earth's atmosphere. The findings could reshape our understanding of early life's metabolic processes and the environmental conditions that fostered its development, pushing back the timeline for key biological innovations.