A day on Earth lasted more than 26 hours. Scientists have discovered a possible cause of one of the greatest evolutionary explosions in history

When a day lasted more than 2 hours longer, that is more than 26 hours. Scientists suggest this may have triggered one of the biggest evolutionary explosions in history.

A new study shows that the moon once moved thousands of miles farther out in its orbit during two periods. That's why days on Earth were 2.2 hours longer, LiveScience writes.

The moon now orbits at an average distance of 384,400 kilometers from Earth. But scientists emphasize that our satellite was not always where it is now. Over time, the Moon pulls our planet. In doing so, it migrates away from the Earth, taking away its kinetic energy. As a consequence, our planet's rotation on its axis slows down, which according to the study extends Earth's days.

In the new study, a team led by geologist He Huang from Chengdu University of Technology in China attempted to clarify the history of Earth's rotation by looking at eight datasets that recorded rock layers from marine environments dating back roughly between 700 and 200 million years ago.

The researchers found that there was a "staircase" pattern in Earth's rotation, with two periods when the planet's rotation changed rapidly and abruptly, followed by periods of stability. During the study period, the days became 2.2 hours longer. During this period, the Moon also moved away by an average of 20000 km.

One of these time periods, from about 650 to 500 million years ago, spanned the Cambrian explosion, a period when life diversified dramatically. The second "step" in Earth's rotation took place about 340 to 280 million years ago, corresponding to a period when huge glaciers covered the planet.

The study suggests that due to the increased day length - and therefore the influence of the Sun - the Moon may have triggered large oxygen enrichment events that led to the diversification of life. However, the researchers note that these results "need to be interpreted with caution."

The study also casts doubt on another theory: that a period when glaciers rapidly covered the Earth, leading to mass extinctions, had a large effect on the Earth's rotation. They suggested that most of the slowdown is caused directly by tidal forces.

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