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Microbial mats may have given early animals breathing room

Canadian ponds and Venezuelan lagoons inspire a hypothesis about ancient life

By Daniel Strain

- More than 2 years ago

Like exhausted nightclubbers, early animals may have weathered their harsh lifestyle by squirming up to the oxygen bar.

SCUBA DIVER An insect larva peeks out of a glob of bacteria. Like this modern youngster, early animals may have survived rough waters by inhaling the oxygen churned out by such microbial mats.