Review: Biogeochemical effects of early life on land

Earth colonization by life happened billions of years ago. Weathering of soils by microbial mats leave a characteristic signal that can be used to shed light on the mechanisms involved in colonization. In this review, Lenton and Daines discuss the growing mass of evidence that points to the biogeochemical changes caused by microbial mats during early life on land adaptation. They also discuss the colonization timeline that led to the establishment of the first land plants. (Summary by Gaby Auge) New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/nph.14338