Cambrian Explosion

The evolution of the earth is a complex science research paper topic. A Cambrian explosion research paper explains just one era of this complex phenomena. Have our science writers explain the Cambrian explosion and simplify your research process.

The Cambrian Explosion was a period in Earth's prehistory during which a number of animal phyla suddenly appear in the fossil record. The Cambrian Explosion dates to some 540 million years ago, during which evolution rapidly introduced more complex organisms from the single-celled colonies that existed previously.

As early as the 18th century, geologists noted a dramatic increase in fossil records at the base of the Cambrian layer. Life on Earth dates back at least 3850 million years in the past. Stromatolites, colonies of microorganisms, were the first forms of complex life.

Cambrian Explosion and Fossil Records

In the 1970s, scientists began reanalyzing fossil records, discovering several complex organisms from the early Cambrian period that are completely different than anything on Earth today. These animals included:

• The arthropod Marella
• The five-eyed Opabina
• The slug-like Wiwxia

Many scientists theorize that all modern animal phyla (phylum ranks below kingdom, but above class; there are 35 animal phyla) appeared about the same time.

Fossilization, despite its numerous instance in museums, is a rare event, and natural processes like erosion over time destroy many fossils. Therefore, fossil records are incomplete, especially the further back in time one seeks to study. However, the Cambrian fossil record comprises a significant about of extraordinary fossils that even preserve soft tissue.