This Enigmatic Blob Was One of Earth's Earliest Animals

[Judi Lynn]

Was the creature that left these prints an animal, protist, or fungi? Chemistry provides new clues.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY O. LOUIS MAZZATENTA



The strange life-form has long perplexed scientists. So a team of researchers used modern analyses to take a fresh look at its ancient remains.

BY MAYA WEI-HAAS
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

THE EDIACARAN CRITTERS were an odd bunch—from ringed discs and patterned blobs to lumpy ropes and wavy fronds. Taking to the warm shallow seas as early as 570 million years ago, these soft and squishy misfits were Earth's earliest complex life.

One of the most famous of the lot is Dickinsonia. This flattened, ribbed oval can grow over four feet across and sports a distinct ridge down its center. However, the question of what exactly Dickinsonia is has long puzzled scientists. At various points in history, they’ve assigned these curious forms to almost every kingdom of life. In recent decades, the debate has swirled around three groups: some researchers proposed fungi, others said protists, still others say animals.

In a new study, published this week in Science, researchers used modern techniques to take a fresh look at the ancient creatures. Their results join mounting evidence that suggests Dickinsonia is among the earliest animal life yet found—predating the Cambrian explosion of life, which took place 541 million years ago and marked the rise of most major animal groups still around today.

“This was already actually one of us,” says study author Jochen Brocks, paleobiogeochemist at Australian National University. “It was an animal.” Though Dickinsonia eventually went extinct, the animal is one of many early experiments in multicellular life that eventually gave rise to our modern menagerie.

More:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/09/news-ediacaran-ancient-life-fossil-dickinsonia/

[grumpyduck]

1. Animal, vegetable, or mineral?

[Javaman]

2. Animal, vegetable, mineral or trump? LOL nt