New Fossil Discoveries in Southern China Reveal Complex Life Forms Existed 60 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought
In a groundbreaking discovery, geobiologist Professor Shuhai Xiao and his team from Virginia Tech College of Science have found evidence that complex life forms in the form of multicellular organisms existed 600 million years ago. This is 60 million years earlier than previously believed. The discovery was made through the analysis of spherical fossils found in the Doushantuo rock formation in southern China. Until now, scientists believed that life at this time only existed in its simplest form, such as algae, bacteria, and other single-celled eukaryotes.
The new fossil discoveries raise new questions about the so-called Cambrian explosion, which saw the emergence of multicellular life around 540 million years ago. All the precursors of life as we know it today emerged during the Cambrian period. However, the cause of this explosion remains a mystery to scientists, as there are no worldwide deposits of earth before the Cambrian period that could provide answers to the question of the origin of life. The current fossil discoveries in southern China do not fit with the previous explanation, and geobiologists are still unsure how to reconcile the Cambrian explosion with the new findings.
The small spherical fossils show clear signs of higher multicellularity, making them the earliest known ancestors of multicellular animals. According to Xiao, “It is impossible that the fossils are algae or bacteria.” Instead, he and his colleagues believe that they are embryos of so-called Edicara organisms, whose ancestry was previously unknown. This new discovery sheds a completely new light on the timeline of evolutionary steps in the development from single-celled life to complex organisms that eventually took over the earth.
In conclusion, this groundbreaking discovery challenges our understanding of the origin of life and the evolution of complex organisms. It raises new questions about the Cambrian explosion and the timeline of evolutionary steps leading to the emergence of multicellular life. The findings also highlight the importance of continued research and exploration in the field of geobiology to uncover the mysteries of our planet’s past.
