«Breaking News» Animal life evolved 'in bursts' starting millions of years earlier than previously thought

New findings are challenging a long-held theory that the huge expansion in the animal kingdom 500 million years ago was triggered by a single surge of evolution. 

Bursts of evolutionary activity may have increased the variety of animals and began millions of years earlier that thought.

Data also shows the episodes could have occurred over a longer time frame, and were more frequent than previously thought.

Bursts of evolutionary activity that increased the number and variety of animals began millions of years earlier that thought. This image shows researchers studying at a fossil site in Nambia

Geoscientists from the University of Edinburgh re-assessed the timeline of early animal evolution by analysing records of fossil discoveries and environmental change.

Until now, the Cambrian Explosion, which took place between 540 and 520 million years ago, was thought to have given rise to almost all the early ancestors of present-day animals.

Now the new research has shown that it was probably just one in a series of similar events, the first of which took place at least 571 million years ago during the late Ediacaran Period.

Scientists have long speculated that a large oxygen spike during the 'Cambrian Explosion' was key to the development of many animal species.

Professor Rachel Wood, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said these bursts of evolutionary activity may have coincided with dramatic fluctuations in the levels of oxygen and essential nutrients in the oceans.

She said: 'Integrating data from the fossil record with that of environmental changes that affected the whole planet is revealing the patterns and drivers of the rise of complex life on Earth. 

An artist's impression of the 'Cambrian sea' (pictured) that occurred after what was thought to be a single evolutionary episode known as the Cambrian explosion. The sea was teeming with animals and coincided with a large spike of oxygen levels 

'We used to think early animals emerged rapidly following a single evolutionary event, but our findings suggest it actually happened in stages.'

Their findings challenge a long-held theory that suggests the huge expansion in the types of animals on the planet more than 500 million years ago was triggered by a single, rapid surge of evolution. 

WHAT WAS THE 'CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION'?

Scientists have long speculated that a large oxygen spike during the 'Cambrian Explosion' was key to the development of many animal species. 

The Cambrian Explosion, around 541 million years ago, was a period when a wide variety of animals burst onto the evolutionary scene.

Before about 580 million years ago, most organisms were simple, composed of individual cells occasionally organised into colonies.

Over the following 70 or 80 million years, the rate of evolution accelerated and the diversity of life began to resemble that of today.

It ended with the Cambrian-Ordovician extinction event, approximately 488 million years ago. 

A recent study linked the historic rise in oxygen responsible for the formation of animal life on Earth to fossil fuels. Pictured: This black shale, formed 450 million years ago, contains fossils of trilobites and organic material that helped support these in oxygen

 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/03/12/animal-life-evolved-in-bursts-starting-millions-of-years-earlier-than-previously-thought/
Main photo article New findings are challenging a long-held theory that the huge expansion in the animal kingdom 500 million years ago was triggered by a single surge of evolution. 
Bursts of evolutionary activity may have increased the variety of animals and began millions of years earlier that thought.
Data also ...

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