Extreme climate changes influenced early life evolution at ∼ 1.4 Ga: Implications from shales of the Xiamaling Formation, northern North China Craton

•The Xiamaling Formation was deposited in an oxidative marine environment.•The difference in total organic carbon and nutrient elements between black shale and green shale is associated with extreme climate change.•Unstable nutrient supply would hinder the evolution of early-life at ∼ 1.4 Ga. The Mesoproterozoic Era (ca.1.6–1.0 Ga) witnessed a long-term evolution stasis of eukaryote, which is usually ascribed to the persistent low atmospheric oxygen levels. However, several oxygenation processes were identified on different continents during the Mesoproterozoic Era, implying that the oxygen levels may not be the only factor influencing the evolution of early-life during the early Mesoproterozoic Era. Here, we report the molybdenum isotopes, redox sensitive elements, nutrient elements and total organic carbon (TOC) content of black and green shales from the ∼ 1.4 Ga Xiamaling Formation in the northern part of the North China Craton (NCC), which has been affected by Milankovitch-style cycle, orbital forcing of extreme change of climate ∼ 1.4 billion years ago. The highest δ98Mo of the green shale reaches 1.56 ± 0.04 ‰ (modern ocean: 2.34 ‰), which may also confirm that it was in an oxygenation state at that time. In contrast, the black shale has lower δ98Mo values (1.02 ± 0.07 ‰) than that of green shale, indicating a less oxidized environment. Moreover, the TOC and nutrient elements (e.g., P, Cu, Ni) contents of the black shale are higher than those of green shale, which results from an increased nutrient input caused by stronger weathering and river runoff during a wet period. We conclude that the marine environment was persistently oxidative during the deposition of the black and green shales, while the TOC contents of the black and green shales are mainly controlled by the concentration of the nutrient elements that are constrained by the climatic conditions. Even though in oxic aquatic environment, the unstable nutrient supply would hinder the early life evolution, our findings imply vice versa. Hence, these results imply that the extreme climate change leading to unsustainable supply of nutrients, may have largely influenced emergence and diversification of animals in the Mesoproterozoic Era.