Resolving the Ediacaran enigma: Unravelling the fossil record of early animal evolution

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• Professor Alex Liu
• Tuesday 10 March 2026, 18:00-19:00
• Pfizer Lecture Theatre, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road.

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Animals (the biological group of organisms containing everything from sponges, jellyfish and snails to worms, insects and ourselves) comprise one of the major Kingdoms of life on Earth, but they have been present for less than 1/8 of Earth history, evolving roughly 600 million years ago. This talk will introduce fossils of the enigmatic ‘Ediacaran biota’, which preserve Earth’s oldest records of early animal life, and will outline what we currently know about how and when animals evolved, diversified and innovated to ultimately dominate the planet. Along the way we will visit locations both remote and familiar, and encounter weird and wonderful fossil organisms that offer unique and unexpected insights into our ancient past

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This talk is part of the SciSoc – Cambridge University Scientific Society series.

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