Mastodawn

#Fossils reveal many complex #animals existed before the #CambrianExplosion
More than 539 million years ago, from the #Ediacaran Period, soft, clarinet-shaped animals anchored themselves to the seafloor on disc-shaped bases, swaying alongside stalked animals resembling worms and baskets. These woodwindlike creatures are just a few of those coming to life from a treasure trove of newly discovered fossils in southwestern #China.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fossils-complex-early-animals-diversity
https://archive.ph/sgnuC

Fossils reveal many complex animals existed before the Cambrian explosion

Hundreds of Chinese fossils from the dawn of animal evolution may change how scientists think of this critical period of prehistory.

Science News

Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Feb 5

Huayuan biota decodes Earth's first mass extinction https://phys.org/news/2026-01-huayuan-biota-decodes-earth-phanerozoic.html

"#CambrianExplosion was cut short around 513 million years ago by the #SinskEvent—with an #extinction rate on par with the planet's 5 most severe mass extinctions. #Biodiversity remained low for 50 million years... While paleontologists have uncovered dozens of #Cambrian soft-bodied fossil sites... no equivalent deposit had been found from the critical post-Sinsk Event interval... That changed over the past 5 years"

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Kelsey Jordahl Jan 30

related XKCD: https://xkcd.com/3199/

#fossils #CambrianExplosion

Early Arthropods

xkcd

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Kelsey Jordahl Jan 30

The actual Nature paper (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10030-0) is paywalled, but they posted this image to BSky.

source: https://bsky.app/profile/natureportfolio.nature.com/post/3mdlcg64rp22x

#fossils #CambrianExplosion

Kelsey Jordahl Jan 30

Wild, a rich Cambrian fossil bed has been discovered in China! Many of the species are related to those in the Burgess shale, but 60% are entirely new.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2513485-huge-fossil-bonanza-preserves-512-million-year-old-ecosystem/

#fossils #CambrianExplosion

Huge fossil bonanza preserves 512-million-year-old ecosystem

A treasure trove of Cambrian fossils has been discovered in southern China, providing a window on marine life shortly after Earth’s first mass extinction event

New Scientist

Stefan F. Wirth Jan 8

#Freelancers like me depend on support to survive and be productive, I much appreciate support for a coffee: ko-fi.com/sfwirth
I am performing #science, #sciencecommunication and #arts, often combining arts/science. My #topicrange is wide, it reaches from titan #isopods over the behaviors of the Mediterranean #Junebeetle and even over an #animated #video about the #Cambrianexplosion towards #phoretic #mites of the #Histiostomatidae. Here H. sp. from rotting #lemonfruits. Please support my work.

Stefan F. Wirth Dec 11

Please watch my newest #animated #YouTube #video about the #Cambrianexplosion
https://youtu.be/EhUQfMcxUGs?si=5PALKW_J5fkkxOV6

It was a very #shortperiod in Earth's history, began ca. 541 million years ago and lasted only ~13-25 million years, during which giant #evolutionary leaps occurred in #animals. I.a.under influence of increased #oxygen levels, #Bilateria, primeval #Protostomia and #Deuterostomia evolved. We Tetrapoda much later derived from the latter.
©#StefanFWirth 2025

#Pics
©S F.Wirth,#AIassisted own work

Stefan F. Wirth Dec 5

#Chitonida (#Mollusca) exist since the #Cambrian. Bodies are covered with #calcareous #plates, flexibly connected. Most feed on vegetation cover. The #CambrianExplosion made based i.a. on #oxygen significant leaps in #animalevolution. Y. Zhang et al. (2025) assume a change in Earth's orbit altering #solarradiation, leading to land #weathering and #nutrients flow to the sea. Algae thrived and produced much oxygen.
© #StefanFWirth 2025

Ref
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL118689

Matilda's Lab Jun 30, 2025

The Cambrian explosion: the period when all modern animal body forms first evolved. So called because it appeared to happen quickly; an illusion of the rocks, and it's just got longer!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1089082
#sciencenews #cambrianexplosion

Cambrian explosion may have occurred much earlier than previously thought

The Cambrian explosion was an extraordinary phenomenon in the evolution of life on the planet that led to the emergence of many animal phyla and the diversification of species. During this period, some 530 million years ago, most of the basic body plans of organisms that have survived to the present day emerged. However, this great explosion of life that changed the evolutionary landscape on Earth may have occurred millions of years earlier than previously thought, a hypothesis now reinforced in a study published in the journal Geology.

EurekAlert!

Geekoo May 15, 2025

A newly discovered three-eyed sea predator with gills and claws lived 506 million years ago — and its fossil reveals incredible internal anatomy. #CambrianExplosion #FossilDiscovery #AncientLife

https://geekoo.news/sea-moth-of-the-cambrian-ancient-predator-unearthed-in-canada/

Sea-Moth of the Cambrian: Ancient Predator Unearthed in Canada | Geekoo

A fossil predator from half a billion years ago stuns scientists with its gills, three eyes, and a moth-like swimming style. Meet *Mosura fentoni*.

Geekoo