Copper and the rise of the animals

Abstract:
Key moments of evolution were related to the supply of trace elements that allowed biochemical innovation. The appearance of animals shortly before the end of the Precambrian coincided with an increased geological availability of the trace element copper. A remarkable series of events during the late Precambrian, involving magmatism, mineralization, glaciation, and a new atmosphere, led to a copper-rich environment. The earliest animals used the copper to help them breath oxygen and build structural support, two critical advances that allowed animals to flourish and colonise the planet.

Professor John Parnell