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• Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered that changes in Earth's orbit may have allowed complex life to emerge and thrive during “Snowball Earth”.

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• The “Snowball Earth” glaciations were a series of ice ages sometime earlier than 650 Mya (million years ago) during the Cryogenian period and Neoproterozoic era of geologic time.
• During these ice ages the entire surface of the planet froze over, all the way from the poles to the equator.
• The most recent snowball episode triggered the evolution of multicellularity.
• Note: Scientists have recorded five significant ice ages throughout the Earth’s history: the Huronian (2.4-2.1 billion years ago), Cryogenian (850-635 million years ago), Andean-Saharan (460-430 mya), Karoo (360-260 mya) and Quaternary (2.6 mya-present).
• The Huronian glaciation, triggered the first appearance of oxygen in the atmosphere, the "Great Oxidation Event".

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210707112419.htm

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