Recently, several seemingly irreconcilably different models have been proposed for relationships between Earth system processes and the rise of complex life. These models provide very different scenarios of Proterozoic atmospheric oxygen and ocean nutrient levels, whether they constrained complex life, and of how the rise of complex life affected biogeochemical conditions. For non-modellers, it can be hard to evaluate which—if any—of the models and their results have more credence—hence this article. I briefly review relevant hypotheses, how models are being used to incarnate and sometimes test those hypotheses, and key principles of biogeochemical cycling models should embody. Then I critically review the use of biogeochemical models in: inferring key variables from proxies; reconstructing ancient biogeochemical cycling; and examining how complex life affected biogeochemical cycling. Problems are found in published model results purporting to demonstrate long-term stable states of very low Proterozoic atmospheric pO₂ and ocean P levels. I explain what they stem from and highlight key empirical uncertainties that need to be resolved. Then I suggest how models and data can be better combined to advance our scientific understanding of the relationship between Earth system processes and the rise of complex life.

最近，针对地球系统过程与复杂生命兴起之间的关系，提出了几种看似不可调和的不同模型。这些模型提供了元古代大气氧气和海洋营养水平的非常不同的情景，它们是否限制了复杂生命，以及复杂生命的兴起如何影响生物地球化学条件。对于非建模者来说，可能很难评估哪个（如果有的话）模型及其结果更有可信度，因此这篇文章。我简要回顾了相关假设，如何使用模型来体现并有时检验这些假设，以及生物地球化学循环模型应体现的关键原则。然后我批判性地回顾了生物地球化学模型在以下方面的使用：从代理推断关键变量；重建古代生物地球化学循环；并研究复杂的生命如何影响生物地球化学循环。在已发表的模型结果中发现了一些问题，该结果旨在证明元古代大气p O ₂和海洋 P 水平极低的长期稳定状态。我解释了它们的根源，并强调了需要解决的关键经验不确定性。然后我建议如何更好地结合模型和数据，以促进我们对地球系统过程与复杂生命兴起之间关系的科学理解。