Scientists get first look at the evolution of early complex animals

Scientists get first look at the evolution of early complex animals

Washington — Newly discovered fossils have given scientists their first glimpse of what happened when Earth made the decisive transition from plants and unrecognizably simple animals to the complex life that took over the world and eventually led to us. And it happened millions of years earlier than researchers thought. More than 700 fossils discovered … Read more

Surprising fossil discovery sets back the evolution of complex animals

Surprising fossil discovery sets back the evolution of complex animals

An artist’s reconstruction of an ancient marine ecosystem preserved in the Egawa biota. Wang Xiaodong A huge collection of beautifully preserved fossils discovered in China casts doubt on the idea that complex life flourished dramatically during a rapid evolutionary process known as the Cambrian Explosion. This event, which spanned approximately 541 to 513 million years … Read more