The Radiation Shield Hypothesis: A New Model for the Origin of Species and the Role of Ozone in the Cambrian Explosion

This article proposes a new evolutionary model focusing on the 'why' and 'how' of speciation. It argues that life originated in the 'Life Level'—the zone just above the dark abyss—to escape lethal solar radiation before the ozone layer existed. The hypothesis suggests that the Cambrian Explosion was triggered by the thickening of the ozone layer, which allowed life to disperse into shallower waters. During this transition, radiation acted as a genetic catalyst, rapidly increasing species diversity until the ozone layer reached its current protective thickness, at which point Darwinian natural selection became the primary driver of evolution.