#cambrianexplosion — Public Fediverse posts

#Fossils reveal many complex #animals existed before the #CambrianExplosion
More than 539 million years ago, from the #Ediacaran Period, soft, clarinet-shaped animals anchored themselves to the seafloor on disc-shaped bases, swaying alongside stalked animals resembling worms and baskets. These woodwindlike creatures are just a few of those coming to life from a treasure trove of newly discovered fossils in southwestern #China.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fossils-complex-early-animals-diversity
https://archive.ph/sgnuC

#Freelancers like me depend on support to survive and be productive, I much appreciate support for a coffee: ko-fi.com/sfwirth
I am performing #science, #sciencecommunication and #arts, often combining arts/science. My #topicrange is wide, it reaches from titan #isopods over the behaviors of the Mediterranean #Junebeetle and even over an #animated #video about the #Cambrianexplosion towards #phoretic #mites of the #Histiostomatidae. Here H. sp. from rotting #lemonfruits. Please support my work.

Please watch my newest #animated #YouTube #video about the #Cambrianexplosion
https://youtu.be/EhUQfMcxUGs?si=5PALKW_J5fkkxOV6

It was a very #shortperiod in Earth's history, began ca. 541 million years ago and lasted only ~13-25 million years, during which giant #evolutionary leaps occurred in #animals. I.a.under influence of increased #oxygen levels, #Bilateria, primeval #Protostomia and #Deuterostomia evolved. We Tetrapoda much later derived from the latter.
©#StefanFWirth 2025

#Pics
©S F.Wirth,#AIassisted own work

#Chitonida (#Mollusca) exist since the #Cambrian. Bodies are covered with #calcareous #plates, flexibly connected. Most feed on vegetation cover. The #CambrianExplosion made based i.a. on #oxygen significant leaps in #animalevolution. Y. Zhang et al. (2025) assume a change in Earth's orbit altering #solarradiation, leading to land #weathering and #nutrients flow to the sea. Algae thrived and produced much oxygen.
© #StefanFWirth 2025

Ref
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL118689

#Pics
#AIassisted, © S.F.Wirth

Round two, poll eight of the #CAMBRIANSMACKDOWN!
Utaurora vs. Opabinia
A graphic with visuals of our contestants will be posted in the replies.
Please boost for reach so that we can see who the best #Cambrian era critter is!
#Poll #Polls #Tournament #Bracket #CambrianExplosion #Arthropod #Arthropods #Fossil #Fossils #Extinct #Silly #Prehistoric #Paleo #Paleontology #Utaurora #UtauroraComosa #Opabinia #OpabiniaRegalis

Round one, poll sixteen of the #CAMBRIANSMACKDOWN!
#TUZOIA vs. #OPABINIA
Graphic with visuals of our fighters in the replies! Propaganda and boosts are encouraged!
#Poll #Tournament #Bracket #Cambrian #CambrianExplosion #Arthropods

Mighty #Anomalocaris stirs, spreading dust and terror throughout the #Cambrian sea. #Opabinia, #Hallucigenia, #Pikaia, #Canadia, #Burgessia, #Marella, and #Elrathia can only hope the rocks and ridges they cover behind will hide them.

Inspired by a display at the Naturkunde Museum Stuttgart that perfectly showed off the difference in size between Cambrian critters. At 40 cm, Anomalocaris was a leviathan.

#CambrianExplosion #Paleoart #MyArt #Arthropods