新元古代全球冰川事件对早期生物演化的影响

新元古代曾发生过强烈的全球性冰川作用 ,紧随冰川作用之后 ,发生了两次生物大辐射事件。这一时期是地球上早期生命演化的重要时期 ,特别是宏观后生动物的出现标志着生物演化史进入了一个新纪元。全球性冰川作用与早期生命演化这二者之间是否存在着密切的联系呢 ?过去地质学家对于新元古代的冰川沉积物多偏重于地层学、沉积学等方面的研究 ,古生物学家又很少关心前寒武纪的冰期地层 ,“新元古代冰川作用”和“早期生命演化”二者很少放在一起讨论。文章重点讨论了冰川作用对早期生物演化的影响。论述了新元古代晚期全球性冰川作用存在的证据及其特点 ,分析了新元古代冰期前后地球上生物的重大演化特点 ,重点讨论了新元古代全球性冰川作用对地球早期生命演化特别是在真核细胞生物向多细胞动物进化的影响方式和作用机理 ,从而说明新元古代全球性冰川作用对地球早期生命演化起着重要的作用

THE EFFECT OF THE NEOPROTEROZOIC GLOBAL GLACIATION ON THE EARLY BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

A strong global glaciation took place on the Earth in Neoproterozoic. Two radiation affairs of biology took place as soon as the glaciation was over. The late Neoproterozoic is an important period of biological evolution; and the emergence of metazoa is a representative event, which marked the history of biology evolution having entered a new era. Are there any relations between the glaciation and early biological evolution? In the past, the geologists were interested in studying the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Neoproterozoic glaciation sediment, while paleontologists cared little about the stratigraphy of glaciation. Therefore, the research on the relationship between the Neoproterozoic glaciation and the early biological evolution was very scarce. This article will discuss the effect of the Neoproterozoic glaciation on the early biological evolution. Firstly, the glaciation of Neoproterozoic is summarized. Secondly, the characteristics of the early biological evolution are analysized. Then, the mode and the mechanism of the effect of the Neoproterozoic glaciation on the early biological evolution, especially on the evolution of eukaryote, and the origin of metazoa are discussed. Thus, it is demonstrated that the Neoproterozoic glaciation did produce important effect on the early biological evolution.