Genomic reconstructions of the common ancestor to all life have identified genes involved in H₂O₂ and O₂ cycling. Commonly dismissed as an artefact of lateral gene transfer after oxygenic photosynthesis evolved, an alternative is a geological source of H₂O₂ and O₂ on the early Earth. Here, we show that under oxygen-free conditions high concentrations of H₂O₂ can be released from defects on crushed silicate rocks when water is added and heated to temperatures close to boiling point, but little is released at temperatures <80 °C. This temperature window overlaps the growth ranges of evolutionary ancient heat-loving and oxygen-respiring Bacteria and Archaea near the root of the Universal Tree of Life. We propose that the thermal activation of mineral surface defects during geological fault movements and associated stresses in the Earth’s crust was a source of oxidants that helped drive the (bio)geochemistry of hot fractures where life first evolved.

所有生命的共同祖先的基因组重建已经确定了参与 H ₂ O ₂和 O ₂循环的基因。通常被认为是含氧光合作用进化后横向基因转移的人工制品，另一种选择是早期地球上H ₂ O ₂和 O _{2的地质来源。}在这里，我们表明在无氧条件下，高浓度的 H ₂ O ₂当加入水并加热到接近沸点的温度时，可以从破碎的硅酸盐岩石上的缺陷中释放出来，但在 <80 °C 的温度下几乎不会释放出来。这个温度窗口与宇宙生命之树根部附近的进化古老的嗜热和呼吸氧气的细菌和古细菌的生长范围重叠。我们提出，地质断层运动期间矿物表面缺陷的热激活和地壳中的相关应力是一种氧化剂来源，有助于驱动生命最初进化的热裂缝的（生物）地球化学。