Oxygen and the Cambrian: in the pre-Cambrian (Evolution)

by dhw, Friday, October 21, 2022, 13:44 (762 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: The leading question is whether these novel bodyplans might provide missing links
between Ediacaran and Cambrian species.

DAVID: What novel body plans? Only in the Cambrian.

dhw: I am quoting the article. Who should I trust to know all the latest research, you or the author?

DAVID: The author is a science review editor, not a scientist. He and I are equals.

There seem to be several “topic editors” working on this research project, all of them from universities in China (where there are veritable treasure troves of ancient fossils).

Heading: Paleontologists Find Evolutionary Link between Ediacaran and Early Cambrian Multicellular Animals

DAVID: Finding one link does not explain the vast array of new phyla appearing so suddenly. A small link is not a gap buster.

dhw: But an accumulation of links would gradually close the gap.

DAVID: Only if Edicaran precursors appear for 37 original phyla in the Cambrian.

dhw: Bearing in mind the extreme unlikelihood of ANY fossils surviving, I’d settle for just a few.

DAVID: I'm not surprised.

And I’m not surprised that you want every single species to have left a complete fossil record of its evolution throughout hundreds of millions of years. Nothing less would shift you from your fixed beliefs. But at present, I only ask for open-mindedness. The Cambrian is still an unsolved mystery!