Earth Sciences

Marine phosphate availability and the chemical origins of life on Earth

M. P. Brady, R. Tostevin, et al.

This groundbreaking research by Matthew P. Brady, Rosalie Tostevin, and Nicholas J. Tosca unveils how high concentrations of Fe²⁺ on early Earth could significantly enhance phosphate solubility, suggesting that the Hadean and Archean oceans may have been rich in phosphates essential for the emergence of early life.

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Abstract

Prebiotic chemistry suggests high phosphate concentrations were crucial for synthesizing life's building blocks. However, typical mineral solubility predictions show negligible phosphate in early Earth waters. This study investigates the role of Fe²⁺, abundant on early Earth, on phosphate solubility. Experiments and models show Fe²⁺ significantly increases phosphate solubility in anoxic systems, suggesting Hadean and Archean seawater had much higher phosphate concentrations than previously thought. This finding supports the idea that seawater met the chemical requirements of early life.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Sep 02, 2022

Authors

Matthew P. Brady, Rosalie Tostevin, Nicholas J. Tosca

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32815-x

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