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Meiofaunal trace fossils from Ediacaran-Cambrian era siltstones in Brazil (Image via Parry et al.)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n According to the fossil records, nearly all animal phyla appeared within a relatively short timespan, dubbed the Cambrian Explosion due to its brevity and significance. But a recent study is contributing to another narrative, one that suggests the “explosion” wasn’t as sudden as\u00a0scientists<\/span>\u00a0first thought, and that favourable circumstances had been lining up since the preceding Ediacaran era. A new study describes a collection of trace meiofaunal fossils\u2014organisms smaller than macrofauna but bigger than microfauna\u2014from Ediacaran-Cambrian siltstones in Brazil, with the oldest specimens dating back 555\u2013542\u2009million years. Brand new technology allowed the researchers to reconstruct important morphological details of the meiofauna that formed the fossil burrows\u00a0and even posit theories about their movement patterns. The fossils present the earliest evidence of tiny lifeforms called meiofaunal bilaterians\u2014which, despite their size, play a significant role in bioengineering behaviours that play an important role in early diversification of life and modern marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong><\/p>\n Luke A. Parry, Paulo C. Boggiani, Daniel J. Condon, Russell J. Garwood, Juliana de M. Leme, Duncan McIlroy, Martin D. Brasier, Ricardo Trindade, Ginaldo A. C. Campanha, M\u00edrian L. A. F. Pacheco, Cleber Q. C. Diniz & Alexander G. Liu<\/p>\n Corresponding Canadian author:<\/strong><\/p>\n Luke Parry, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Email:\u00a0lparry@rom.on.ca<\/a><\/p>\n