Animal Dawn - Research Tuesday - Presentation

Although the rise of animal life on Earth has fascinated humanity for centuries, tracing its origins to an exact point in history has proven difficult.
The Ediacara Biota—approximately 555 million years old—are recognised as the first known macroorganisms. Yet their assignment to the animal kingdom remains controversial, with some scientists believing animal life didn’t take off until the Cambrian “explosion”, around 20 million years later.
New research conducted jointly by the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Museum, however, aims to resolve the debate. Comprehensive comparisons are being conducted between Ediacaran records and those from Kangaroo Island’s internationally significant Emu Bay Shale Cambrian fossil site, with findings tested against modern marine invertebrates.