Abu Saeed Baidya

Abstract Phosphite and pyrophosphate—reduced and polymerized forms of phosphorus—may have played a central role in prebiotic chemistry owing to their higher reactivity and solubility, yet their geological sources remain uncertain. Here we show that mafic–ultramafic rocks on the early Earth could have provided a sustained source of reactive phosphorus through seafloor weathering.

Abstract Reduced and polymerized phosphorus species may have been crucial for the origin and early evolution of life, as they are more reactive and soluble than phosphate. Thermal processes could have produced these phosphorus species; however, the underlying mechanism is poorly constrained, and geological evidence of polymerized species in the Precambrian is so far absent. Here, we investigated contact-metamorphic rocks from the ca.

Abstract Phosphorus availability has influenced the co-evolution of life and Earth’s environments. While phosphate was likely the main phosphorus source for life during the Archean, phosphite (HPO32−) gained importance leading up to the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). However, the concentration of phosphite in seawater at that time, and the processes driving this shift in P utilization, remain poorly constrained.