【Tech 24H】Researchers from Nanjing University, in collaboration with peers from Chinese and international scientific institutions, have revealed the phased evolutionary history and control mechanisms behind the transformation of Earth's atmosphere from anoxic to oxygen-rich. This was achieved by establishing a high-resolution sulfate tri-oxygen isotope record and combining it with quantitative analysis using systematic biogeochemical models. The study provides crucial geochemical tracers and an important theoretical foundation for understanding the origin and evolution of life on Earth and the formation and evolution of Earth's habitability.