4 min listen
Audio long-read: The enigmatic organisms of the Ediacaran Period
FromNature Podcast
ratings:
Length:
19 minutes
Released:
Nov 13, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
New fossil finds and new techniques reveal evidence that early animals were more complex than previously thought.The Cambrian explosion, around 541 million years ago, has long been regarded as a pivotal point in evolutionary history, as this is when the ancient ancestors of most of today’s animals made their first appearances in the fossil record.Before this was a period known as the Ediacaran – a time when the world was believed to be populated by strange, simple organisms. But now, modern molecular research techniques, and some newly discovered fossils, are providing evidence that some of these organisms were actually animals, including ones with sophisticated features like legs and guts.This is an audio version of our feature: These bizarre ancient species are rewriting animal evolution
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Released:
Nov 13, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Nature Podcast Extra: Futures: Nature Extra: Futures is Nature's weekly science fiction slot. Kerri Smith reads you her favourite from September, The tiger waiting on the shore, by Paul Currion. by Nature Podcast