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Animals may have evolved vastly earlier than fossil evidence suggests

Animals may have evolved vastly earlier than fossil evidence suggests
Phys.org Friday 02 October 2026, 18:00 UTC 1 min read
Key Points

The earliest animals may have evolved hundreds of millions of years before their first unmistakable fossils appear in the fossil record, according to a new study led by the University of Oxford. The findings, published in Science Advances, suggest animals may have originated deep in the Neoproterozoic Era, even before some of the most extreme ice ages in Earth's history.

The earliest animals may have evolved hundreds of millions of years before their first unmistakable fossils appear in the fossil record, according to a new study led by the University of Oxford. The findings, published in Science Advances, suggest animals may have originated deep in the Neoproterozoic Era, even before some of the most extreme ice ages in Earth's history.
the University of Oxford (ORG) Science Advances (ORG) the Neoproterozoic Era (LOCATION) Earth (LOCATION)
Originally published by Phys.org Read original →

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