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New Ediacaran fossils, 570-560 mya, make the picture clearer

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Embryo-like microfossils in Greenland:

The new finds from the Portfjeld Formation in the north of Greenland may help to enhance understanding of the origin of animals. In rocks that are 570-560 mya, scientists from Uppsala University, the University of Copenhagen and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland have found microfossils of what might be eggs and animal embryos. These are so well preserved that individual cells, and even intracellular structures, can be studied. The organisms concerned lived in the shallow coastal seas around Greenland during the Ediacaran period, 635-541 mya. The immense variability of microfossils has convinced the researchers that the complexity of life in that period must have been greater than has hitherto been known.

Similar finds were uncovered in southern China’s Doushantuo Formation, which is nearly 600 million years old, over three decades ago. Since then, researchers have been discussing what kinds of life form the microfossils represented, and some think they are eggs and embryos from primeval animals. The Greenland fossils are somewhat younger than, but largely identical to, those from China.

The new discovery means that the researchers can also say that these organisms were spread throughout the world. When they were alive, most continents were spaced out south of the Equator. Greenland lay where the expanse of the Southern Ocean (surrounding Antarctica) is now, and China was roughly at the same latitude as present-day Florida.

Uppsala University, “Half-a-billion year old microfossils may yield new knowledge of animal origins” at ScienceDaily

So life had even LESS time to achieve a high level of complexity by mere random mutation? But surely no one believes that now.

The paper is open access.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSLzv9kv5oA
Comments
Pre to early Mabul year, so over 5781-1655 = 4126 years old, but could be from as early as day 3-6. reference the Moshe Emes Framework for understanding science in max avail contextPearlman
November 12, 2020
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Amazing microphotographs. Embryos caught in the middle of dividing. Sort of like Pompeii on a smaller scale.polistra
November 11, 2020
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