“Fossils Unveil Mysterious ‘Ancestor of All Animals’ From Ancient Australia—What Secrets Are Buried in 555 Million Years?”
The team of geologists from the University of California, Riverside recently published their research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. And experts couldn’t be more thrilled with the results.
“This is what evolutionary biologists predicted,” said geology professor Mary Droser. “It’s really exciting that what we have found lines up so neatly with their prediction.”
University of California, RiversideWith a ruler for comparison, it’s evident just how small the creature’s fossilized burrows really are.
The earliest multicellular organisms, collectively known as Ediacaran biota, had variable shapes. This group holds the oldest and most complex fossils of multicellular organisms. However, most of them aren’t directly related to modern-day animals. For instance, they often lacked mouths or guts.
As such, evolutionary biologists studying the genetics of modern animals believed the oldest ancestor of all bilaterians was likely small and simple, with very basic sensory organs.
With experts eagerly attempting to find fossilized evidence of the oldest ancestor of animals, this geological research team has made an unprecedented mark in the field. After all, the development in bilaterian body structure was a crucial step in the evolution of animal life.
From worms to dinosaurs to modern-day people, a multitude of animals are all organized around this basic bilaterian body plan.
Of course, since the earliest Ediacaran biota creatures were so tiny, most evolutionary biologists were convinced that they would never find their fossilized remains. Fortunately, with modern technology comes potential — with 3D laser scans leading these experts to victory.
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