The Cambrian diversification of animals was long thought to have begun with an explosive
phase at the start of the Tommotian Age. Recent stratigraphic discoveries, however, suggest …

Biomineralized skeletons are widespread in animals, and their origins can be traced to the
latest Ediacaran or early Cambrian fossil record, in virtually all animal groups. The origin of …

The early diversification of animals (∼ 630 Ma), and their development into both motile and
macroscopic forms (∼ 575–565 Ma), has been linked to stepwise increases in the …

A rise in the oxygen content of the atmosphere and oceans is one of the most popular
explanations for the relatively late and abrupt appearance of animal life on Earth. In this …

Abstract Information about the geological timeframe during which animals radiated into their
major subclades is crucial to understanding early animal ecology and evolution …

We report new δ13C chemostratigraphic data of the Ediacaran System in South China.
Using litho-and biostratigraphic markers as independent calibrators, we combine new and …

The Ediacaran–Cambrian transition, one of the most critical intervals in Earth's history, is
marked by dramatic biological, oceanic and geochemical turnovers. Here high-resolution …

Sponges are one of the critical groups in understanding the early evolution of animals.
Traditional views of these relationships are currently being challenged by molecular data …

The lower Cambrian Hetang Formation, a black shale sequence, contains a stone coal (a
flammable, organic-rich mudstone) unit. Abundant pyrite framboids occur in this unit, with the …

The earliest evidence for animal life comes from the fossil record of 24‐isopropylcholestane,
a sterane found in Cryogenian deposits, and whose precursors are found in modern …