Astrobiology Research Group, Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Section Geomicrobiology, 14473, Potsdam, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 4;13(1):12663. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-39716-z.
Essential insights on the characterization and quality of a detectable biosphere are gained by analyzing the effects of its environmental parameters. We compiled environmental and biological properties of the Phanerozoic Eon from various published data sets and conducted a correlation analysis to assess variations in parameters relevant to the habitability of Earth's biosphere. We showed that environmental parameters such as oxygen, global average surface temperatures, runoff rates and carbon dioxide are interrelated and play a key role in the changes of biomass and biodiversity. We showed that there were several periods with a highly thriving biosphere, with one even surpassing present day biodiversity and biomass. Those periods were characterized by increased oxygen levels and global runoff rates, as well as moderate global average surface temperatures, as long as no large or rapid positive and/or negative temperature excursions occurred. High oxygen contents are diagnostic of biomass production by continental plant life. We find that exceptionally high oxygen levels can at least in one instance compensate for decreased relative humidities, providing an even more habitable environment compared to today. Beyond Earth, these results will help us to understand how environmental parameters affect biospheres on extrasolar planets and guide us in our search for extraterrestrial life.
通过分析可探测生物圈的环境参数的影响，可以获得对其特征和质量的基本认识。我们从各种已发表的数据集汇编了显生宙的环境和生物特性，并进行了相关分析，以评估与地球生物圈宜居性相关的参数变化。结果表明，氧气、全球平均表面温度、径流量和二氧化碳等环境参数相互关联，对生物量和生物多样性的变化起着关键作用。结果表明，有几个时期的生物圈非常繁荣，甚至有一个时期的生物多样性和生物量超过了现在。这些时期的特点是氧气水平和全球径流量增加，以及全球平均表面温度适中，只要没有大的或快速的正的和/或负的温度波动。高氧含量是大陆植物生命产生生物量的特征。我们发现，在某些情况下，异常高的氧气水平至少可以弥补相对湿度的降低，提供一个比现在更宜居的环境。在地球之外，这些结果将帮助我们了解环境参数如何影响系外行星上的生物圈，并指导我们寻找外星生命。
