Similarities in their environments past and present
When the Earth was formed, there was no free oxygen in the atmosphere, and it was referred to as an an anoxic atmosphere. The atmosphere, at some stage, changed from one where oxygen was absent, to one where oxygen was present in the air. This change meant that many types of organisms' growth and evolution were altered, having a significant impact on the Earth and its inhabitants.
The change in atmosphere and the increase in oxygen inhibited the growth of anaerobic organisms and caused them to decline, while photosynthetic organisms became more abundant. Methanogens, however were still able to survive in the changed conditions, as there will still areas that were lacking in oxygen, such as deep soils or bogs.
Because Methanogens are able to survive on an Earth where oxygen is present, and they thrive in environments that are deficient in oxygen, they are able to inhabit many different environments, and, although their environments have changed quite significantly, they are still thriving in their own specialised areas on Earth today.
When the Earth was formed, there was no free oxygen in the atmosphere, and it was referred to as an an anoxic atmosphere. The atmosphere, at some stage, changed from one where oxygen was absent, to one where oxygen was present in the air. This change meant that many types of organisms' growth and evolution were altered, having a significant impact on the Earth and its inhabitants.
The change in atmosphere and the increase in oxygen inhibited the growth of anaerobic organisms and caused them to decline, while photosynthetic organisms became more abundant. Methanogens, however were still able to survive in the changed conditions, as there will still areas that were lacking in oxygen, such as deep soils or bogs.
Because Methanogens are able to survive on an Earth where oxygen is present, and they thrive in environments that are deficient in oxygen, they are able to inhabit many different environments, and, although their environments have changed quite significantly, they are still thriving in their own specialised areas on Earth today.