稳定同位素记录与环境、生命演化中的重大事件

自从地球诞生以来经历了许多重大事件：早期生命的出现、大气氧化事件（Atmospheric oxygenation）、雪球地球及多次生物绝灭与复苏事件。稳定同位素记录在古环境和生命演化研究中具有重要意义，在记录环境变化和生命演化的重大事件中发挥着重大作用：碳同位素的分馏记录了最早生命的开始，硫同位素的非质量相关分馏（Independent mass fractionation of sulphur isotopes）记录了大气中氧含量的重大变化，而在显生宙的几次重大生物灭绝事件中，均有碳同位素的负向漂移。

Stable Isotopic Records vs. Important Events in Life Evolution and the Concurrent Environment

The Earth had experienced many events since it was formed, which include the occurrence of the earliest life, atmospheric oxygenation, the snowball Earth and several times of mass extinction and rejuvenation. Stable isotopic analysis of certain elements in the Earth can track the life evolution and concurrent environmental change. It provides an ideal tool for geological event investigation. Carbon isotopic fractionation records the beginning of earlier life, while independent mass fractionation of sulphur isotopes records the dramatic changes of the oxygen content in the air. Whenever the mass extinctions occur in the Phanerozoic, carbon isotopic values always show a negative shift.