The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia
One of the most profound events in biospheric evolution was the emergence of animals, which is thought to have occurred some 600-650 Ma. Here we report on the discovery of phosphatised body fossils that we interpret as ancient sponge-like fossils and term them Otavia antiqua gen. et sp. nov. The fo...
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| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2012-01-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9937 |
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| author | C. Brain Anthony Prave Karl-Heinz Hoffmann Anthony Fallick Andre Botha Donald Herd Craig Sturrock Iain Young Daniel Condon Stuart Allison |
| author_facet | C. Brain Anthony Prave Karl-Heinz Hoffmann Anthony Fallick Andre Botha Donald Herd Craig Sturrock Iain Young Daniel Condon Stuart Allison |
| author_sort | C. Brain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | One of the most profound events in biospheric evolution was the emergence of animals, which is thought to have occurred some 600-650 Ma. Here we report on the discovery of phosphatised body fossils that we interpret as ancient sponge-like fossils and term them Otavia antiqua gen. et sp. nov. The fossils are found in Namibia in rocks that range in age between about 760 Ma and 550 Ma. This age places the advent of animals some 100 to 150 million years earlier than proposed, and prior to the extreme climatic changes and postulated stepwise increases in oxygen levels of Ediacaran time. These findings support the predictions based on genetic sequencing and inferences drawn from biomarkers that the first animals were sponges. Further, the deposition and burial of Otavia as sedimentary particles may have driven the large positive C-isotopic excursions and increases in oxygen levels that have been inferred for Neoproterozoic time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-54b7cfef1ce54620a354205ea420d3fe |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-54b7cfef1ce54620a354205ea420d3fe2025-08-20T02:26:00ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892012-01-011081/28 pages8 pages8171The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from NamibiaC. Brain0Anthony Prave1Karl-Heinz Hoffmann2Anthony Fallick3Andre Botha4Donald Herd5Craig Sturrock6Iain Young7Daniel Condon8Stuart Allison9Ditsong MuseumUniversity of St AndrewsMinistry of Mines and EnergyScottish Universities Environmental Research CentreUniversity of PretoriaUniversity of St AndrewsUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of New EnglandNERC Isotope Geosciences LaboratoryUniversity of St AndrewsOne of the most profound events in biospheric evolution was the emergence of animals, which is thought to have occurred some 600-650 Ma. Here we report on the discovery of phosphatised body fossils that we interpret as ancient sponge-like fossils and term them Otavia antiqua gen. et sp. nov. The fossils are found in Namibia in rocks that range in age between about 760 Ma and 550 Ma. This age places the advent of animals some 100 to 150 million years earlier than proposed, and prior to the extreme climatic changes and postulated stepwise increases in oxygen levels of Ediacaran time. These findings support the predictions based on genetic sequencing and inferences drawn from biomarkers that the first animals were sponges. Further, the deposition and burial of Otavia as sedimentary particles may have driven the large positive C-isotopic excursions and increases in oxygen levels that have been inferred for Neoproterozoic time.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9937cryogenianotavi groupnama groupspongesmetazoansneoproterozoic |
| spellingShingle | C. Brain Anthony Prave Karl-Heinz Hoffmann Anthony Fallick Andre Botha Donald Herd Craig Sturrock Iain Young Daniel Condon Stuart Allison The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia South African Journal of Science cryogenian otavi group nama group sponges metazoans neoproterozoic |
| title | The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia |
| title_full | The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia |
| title_fullStr | The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia |
| title_full_unstemmed | The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia |
| title_short | The first animals: ca. 760-million-year-old sponge-like fossils from Namibia |
| title_sort | first animals ca 760 million year old sponge like fossils from namibia |
| topic | cryogenian otavi group nama group sponges metazoans neoproterozoic |
| url | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9937 |
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