Feces helped give rise to life on Earth – study

Australian scientists from Flinders University have proposed the hypothesis of a "fecal revolution" as a key catalyst for the Cambrian explosion. The massive accumulation of excrement from primitive marine organisms enriched ancient oceans with nutrients, accelerating the development of complex life around 540 million years ago.

Australian scientists from Flinders University have proposed the hypothesis that a "fecal revolution" — the massive accumulation of excrement from primitive marine organisms — may have been a key catalyst for the Cambrian explosion, which began around 540 million years ago. As the digestive systems of ancient ocean dwellers improved, their waste began entering the water in fundamentally larger volumes, enriching it with nutrients. This accelerated the development of marine ecosystems at the boundary between the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. Dr. Russell Bicknell notes that alongside traditional factors such as rising oxygen levels, the accumulation of waste played a colossal, previously overlooked role. Coprolites — fossilized feces — help in studying this process, with analysis showing a sharp increase in the diversity and size of such remains.