Illustration of the first multicellular animals that existed during the Ediacaran period (around 635 … [+]
In 1947, geologist Reginald C. Sprigg announced the discovery of large fossils from the Ediacara Hills in the Australian Outback. Dating of the rock formations revealed that the Ediacaran fauna was more than 550 million years old, quite a sensation at the time, as nobody expected multicellular life to appear so early in Earth’s history.
Ruling the shallow sea for roughly 96 million years, the Ediacara fauna includes many weird creatures showing no affinities with any living organism. Many scientists believe they represent an early – in the end failed – evolutionary experiment to build large multicellular bodies.
“With these animals, because they have no modern descendants, we’re still working out basic questions about how they lived, such as how they reproduced and what they ate,” said Phillip C. Boan, UC Riverside paleontology graduate student and lead author of a new study showing that at least some of these enigmatic creatures did live together forming some sort of colony.
The discovery was made studying fossils recovered at the Nilpena Ediacara National Park. A series of storms quickly buried the Ediacaran creatures at Nilpena, helping preserve sandstone impressions of entire animal communities that lived together there. “This way, we’re able to piece together whole ecosystems,” so Mary Droser, UCR distinguished professor of paleontology and study co-author.
The researchers studied the spatial distribution of three Ediacaran species – Tribrachidium, Rugoconites and Obamus. All the studied creatures were immobile, as they lack any means of movement (like legs or fins), sensory organs or even mouth parts, small creatures showing a radial body-symmetry and likely lived their entire existence embedded in the sediment adsorbing nutrients through their body-surface from the microbial mat covering the ancient sea floor.
Tribrachidium heraldicum, one of the most enigmatic critters from the Ediacara-fauna.
Two of them – TribrachidiumFOLLOW us ON GOOGLE NEWS
Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessory action within 24 hours.
Jessica Irvine is a tech enthusiast specializing in gadgets. From smart home devices to cutting-edge electronics, Jessica explores the world of consumer tech, offering readers comprehensive reviews, hands-on experiences, and expert insights into the coolest and most innovative gadgets on the market.