What was the Ediacaran biota?

The Ediacaran biota consisted of complex, multicellular organisms that gradually became more common during the Ediacaran Period before the rapid increase of fossil diversity in the Cambrian. Prior to this period, the majority of living organisms were small, unicellular, and poorly preserved. The Ediacaran Period itself ended 538.8 million years ago, preceding the Cambrian Period.

What we know

• Complex, multicellular organisms gradually became more common during the Ediacaran. [3]
• The Ediacaran Period preceded the Cambrian Period, ending 538.8 million years ago. [3]
• Prior to the Cambrian, the majority of living organisms were small, unicellular, and poorly preserved, while the Precambrian accounts for 88% of Earth's geologic time before hard-shelled creatures appeared in abundance. [3, 4]

Where to go next

• what followedWhat happened during the Cambrian explosion?
• the bigger pictureWhat defines the Precambrian supereon?
• how it workedHow do single-celled organisms function?
• whenWhat is the timeline of the Paleozoic Era?
• how we knowHow is paleontology practiced today?
• an unexpected connectionHow do modern single-celled life forms connect to ancient history?Unicellular organisms are thought to be the oldest form of life, emerging billions of years before the complex multicellular Ediacaran biota evolved.

Sources

• [1]2026 in paleontology (Wikidata Q138313422) · CC0 1.0
• [2]2026 in paleontology · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Cambrian · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Precambrian · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Unicellular organism · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. What is Meteor Crater in Arizona and how was it formed?
2. /What was the collaboration between Richter and Gutenberg?
3. /Why do almost all Fields Medalists hold mathematics PhDs?
4. /What was the Ediacaran biota?