Dickinsonia is confirmed as one of the oldest animals

2018/09/20 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia
• Paleontologia
• Biologia
• Arkeologia

So far scientists have not been clear about what kind of life Dickinsonia was. This is how some oval fossils of the Ediacara period are called, which have been considered as fungi or protists. Now, however, the study of some specific fossil biomarkers has concluded that they were animals.

For example, researchers have noted that in fossil Dickinsonians many more cholsteroid molecules have been found (more than 93%) than in microbial sediments in the area (11%). In addition, they have not found ergosteroids, molecules that are considered characteristics of fungi.

Ediaca's are the oldest lives found in the fossil record and lived 575-541 million years ago. Research on fossil Dickinsonias has been published in the journal Science.