Dickensonia
Ediacara Hills, Australia
570-543 million years old
An odd-shaped animal left this fossil on the floor of a shallow sea. The animal
was long and flat--no more than 2 ½ to 4 cm (1 to 1 ½ in) thick--with a tough
exterior and quilted construction. Scientists have no idea what it was or who
it was related to. Nothing like it lives today. Yet, Dickensonia fossils
are found around the world, and it surely was a major player in the early history
of multicellular life.
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| Early Life Main Page |
Earth 3.5 Billion Years Ago | Stromatolite | Ediacaran Diorama | Burgess Shale Diorama |
