Here is an item my inner geek couldn't resist:
Dying plankton sinking to the seabed, are eventually crushed into rocks. Under pressure, their carbon content causes the rocks to turn into graphite. This lubricates rock moving over rock from tectonic activity. Thus resulting in higher mountains than otherwise possible.
From the Guardian:
Hot news from two billion years ago: plankton actually moved mountains
The original journal article is here:
Increased biomass and carbon burial 2 billion years ago triggered mountain building
An illustration of reflexivity or how things interact, sometimes unexpectedly.