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Evolution of Early Life: From Precambrian to Cambrian Explosion

Explore the fascinating transition from the Precambrian to the Cambrian period, witnessing the emergence of diverse fossil animals and major phyla, unveiling the mysteries of early life evolution.

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Evolution of Early Life: From Precambrian to Cambrian Explosion

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  1. I. The "Precambrian"

  2. I. The "Precambrian" Vendian - 610 mya - 544 mya.

  3. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals

  4. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Dicksonia - thought to be a segmented worm

  5. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Eoporpita - Cnidarian polyp

  6. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Cyclomedusa - Cnidarian polyp; up to 1 meter in diameter

  7. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran(610-544) The first fossil animals Charnia - sea pen (related to Cnidarians) - up to 1 m long

  8. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Nemiana - may be a cnidarian or algal colony...

  9. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Pteridinium - cnidarian???

  10. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Arkarua - Echinoderm?

  11. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Spriggina - soft-bodied, but assignment to Annelida is doubtful... some describe it as a soft-bodied arthropod...(it is similar to trilobites...)

  12. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Tribrachidium - soft-bodied, but enigmatic... maybe a cnidarian or an echinoderm..???

  13. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Kimberella - recent analysis suggest it might be an early mollusc.. a bit chiton-like...

  14. I. The "Precambrian" - The Ediacaran (610-544) The first fossil animals Largely a radiation of soft-bodied forms. In addition, however, the first predatory animals (Cnidarians...) So, although rare, there is a radiation of soft-bodied organisms before the Cambrian... and representatives from several major phyla (or sister phyla) appear.

  15. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals:

  16. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: - representatives of nearly all modern phyla (no Bryozoans) - representatives of extinct phyla - radiation of animals with hard parts

  17. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Thaumaptilon Sea Pen - Cnidaria

  18. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Sydneyia - Arthropod

  19. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Canadia - Annelida

  20. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Choia - Porifera

  21. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Aysheaia - Onychophora

  22. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Ottoia - Priapulida

  23. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Canadapsis - Arthropoda (Crustacea)

  24. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Waptia - Arthropoda (Crustacea)

  25. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Leanchoilia - Arthropoda (Crustacea)

  26. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Pikaia - Chordata

  27. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of extant phyla: Hallucigenia - Onychophora

  28. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of EXTINCT phyla or subphyla: Olenoides - Trilobita

  29. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of EXTINCT phyla or subphyla: Marella - primitive Arthropod

  30. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of EXTINCT phyla or subphyla: Haplophrentis - Hyolithid

  31. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of organisms unassigned to any major group: Opabinia

  32. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of organisms unassigned to any major group: Amiskwia

  33. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of organisms unassigned to any major group: Anomalocaris

  34. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - an 'explosion' of fossil animals: examples of organisms unassigned to any major group: Wiwaxia

  35. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) Burgess Shale Community

  36. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) WHY?

  37. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's WHY?

  38. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Sampling Error? Since hard-parts fossilize better than soft parts, is the 'Explosion' just a reflection of the greater likelyhood of fossilization?

  39. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Sampling Error? Since hard-parts fossilize better than soft parts, is the 'Explosion' just a reflection of the greater likelihood of fossilization? Predation? The Vendian radiation contained lots of predators..Cnidarians. Hard parts would be adaptive protection against these predators, as well as the predators in the Cambrian.

  40. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Sampling Error? Since hard-parts fossilize better than soft parts, is the 'Explosion' just a reflection of the greater likelihood of fossilization? Predation? The Vendian radiation contained lots of predators..Cnidarians. Hard parts would be adaptive protection against these predators, as well as the predators in the Cambrian.

  41. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Sampling Error? Since hard-parts fossilize better than soft parts, is the 'Explosion' just a reflection of the greater likelihood of fossilization? Predation? The Vendian radiation contained lots of predators..Cnidarians. Hard parts would be adaptive protection against these predators, as well as the predators in the Cambrian. Also, it's important to realize that this "Explosion" occurred over 10 my.... not 'instantaneous'...

  42. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Our first example of innovation, radiation, and competitive contraction

  43. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Our first example of innovation, radiation, and competitive contraction Hard parts

  44. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Our first example of innovation, radiation, and competitive contraction

  45. II. The Paleozoic Era A. The Cambrian Period (544 - 510 mya) - First major radiation of hard-bodied org's Our first example of innovation, radiation, and competitive contraction

  46. I. The Precambrian - Vendian II. Paleozoic A. Cambrian - The Cambrian 'Explosion' - The Cambrian Fauna and Beyond

  47. - The Cambrian Fauna and Beyond The fauna was dominated by trilobites... and the number of trilobite families peaked in the late Cambrian and declined through the Paleozoic. This marine fauna is known as the 'Cambrian Fauna' and represents the first great marine faunal assemblage in the fossil record.

  48. - The Cambrian Fauna and Beyond This fauna was replaced by the 'Paleozoic' ( or Brachiopod) fauna, and then by the Modern (or 'Gastropod-Mollusc') fauna in the Mesozoic.

  49. - The Cambrian Fauna and Beyond - What contributes to these patterns in diversity?

  50. - The Cambrian Fauna and Beyond - What contributes to these patterns in diversity? Some paleontologists suggest a correlation between large scale diversity patterns and plate tectonics.

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