Study suggests animals originated earlier than fossil record indicates
An international team including a Yale paleontologist combined newly discovered fossils, reviews of exceptionally preserved sites, and chemical biomarker data to recalibrate molecular clock analyses and estimate that animal life may have originated about 800–700 million years ago. The authors used maximum ages from well-preserved formations — Bitter Springs Group (Australia), Svanbergfjellet Formation (Norway) and the Chuar Group (Arizona) — dated roughly 850–730 million years ago to set calibrations. If correct, animals would predate the oldest identifiable fossils by 100–200 million years and possibly existed before Snowball Earth glaciations, prompting calls for further fossil and biomarker searches.
Animal origins may date to 800–700 million years ago.
Context
Scientists reviewed older fossil sites and chemical traces. They then used those site…
The full analysis
19 dimensions on this story — world impact, market read, and what happens next.
- Full ContextLocked
- Affected SectorsLocked
- Stock ImpactLocked
- Economic IndicatorLocked
- Investor RelevanceLocked
- Professional RelevanceLocked
- Watch PointsPublication of new radiometric dates…Locked
- Probability of ChangeLocked
- Debate PointsReliability of absence-of-evidence as a…Locked
- Prerequisite KnowledgeLocked
- Follow-up QuestionsWill new fossil finds in older…Locked
- Pros & ConsEvolutionary scientists: gain revised…Locked
Free account — 3 full analyses a day, no card.