Question

What was the role of aerobic photoautotrophs in evolution of life in primordial soup?

Answer 1

True chlorophyll pigments were created through molecular modifications, allowing early prokaryotes to use water as an electron donor during photosynthesis and to produce free oxygen as a byproduct. These aerobic, oxygen-based photoautotrophs looked like the blue-green algae known as cyanobacteria today. By generating free oxygen, aerobic photoautotrophs altered Earth's atmosphere, creating an oxidizing environment that facilitated the evolution of more complex eukaryotic life and the development of aerobic respiration. The ozone layer and the potential for species to colonize land were both brought about by this oxygen revolution.