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New Fossil Discoveries in China Push Back Timeline for Complex Animal Evolution

KVIA•Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 11:30 AM•CNN Newsource

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Recent fossil discoveries in southwestern China have revealed that complex animal life may have emerged millions of years earlier than previously believed. The fossils, dating from the Ediacaran period (635 to 542 million years ago), suggest that ancestors of modern vertebrates existed between 554 and 539 million years ago, predating the Cambrian explosion. Researchers excavated around 700 fossils, including unique goblet-shaped organisms and wormlike creatures, indicating a blend of Ediacaran and Cambrian life forms. This finding challenges long-held assumptions about the timeline of animal evolution and highlights the significance of the Ediacaran period in the history of life on Earth.

Key Details: • Fossils found at the Jiangchuan Biota site in Yunnan province, China. • Approximately 700 fossils excavated between 2022 and 2025. • Complex animal life may have existed 4 million years before the Cambrian period. • Findings include bilateral fossils and potential early vertebrate ancestors.

china evolution fossils paleontology ediacaran

People & Organizations

University of OxfordHarvard UniversityRoss AndersonJo WolfeYunnan provinceJiangchuan Biota

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