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Hostile, at least to life as we know it. It contained high levels of carbon dioxide, as well as water, hydrogen sulphide. Life was made up of single-celled organisms that reduced the hydrogen sulphide to gain energy and oxygen was toxic to them. Eventually single-celled organisms that performed photosynthesis evolved. These got their energy from light and converted carbon dioxide to sugars and oxygen.

Plants producing oxygen caused the first major extinction of life on earth as all the creatures that couldn't cope with oxygen were killed.

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The early atmosphere of Earth was primarily composed of gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor, and trace amounts of methane and ammonia. There was little to no oxygen present. These conditions changed with the development of photosynthetic organisms, like cyanobacteria, that produced oxygen as a byproduct.

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10mo ago
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Q: What was the early atmosphere of Earth like before plants were developed?
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