Algae explosion 650 million years ago is why we’re here today, ANU researchers say

How did humans and animals appear on Earth? Researchers say they have the answer and it has to do with an algae explosion millions of years ago.

Surprisingly, the answer comes down to algae.

The project’s lead researcher, Associate Professor Jochen Brocks from the Australian National University (ANU), said they discovered an algae explosion 650 million years ago that allowed human and animal life to evolve.

“Without that we would not be here,” he said.

“There would probably be no large complicated creatures that are big enough that you could see them with your eyes.”

The arrival of large algae organisms, at the base of the food web, created a burst of energy needed for a more complex world, the researchers said.

“This was the transition of an entirely bacterial world, to a world that was more complicated,” Professor Brocks said.

“No-one knew when this transition happened, it’s one of the most profound and most important ecological positions in all of the Earth’s history and we had no idea when this happened.”

MORE: Algae explosion 650 million years ago is why we’re here today, ANU researchers say – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)