540-Million-Year-Old Fossils Reclassified as Microbial Life, Not Animals
TL;DR
New high-resolution imaging of 540-million-year-old filaments initially thought to be animal traces finds cellular structures consistent with bacteria or algae, not animals, suggesting an earlier microbial world and adding nuance to interpretations of the Cambrian timeline and fossil preservation.
- Study Claims 540-Million-Year-Old ‘Animal’ Fossils Are Something Else Entirely Gizmodo
- Stunning fossil discovery challenges the origins of animal life ScienceDaily
- A fossil reanalysis just blew up everything we thought we knew about the origins of animal life The Economic Times
- Brazilian fossils reclassified as 540 million year microbial remains NewsBytes
- Microfossils interpreted as animal traces were actually algae and bacteria Agência FAPESP
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