Complex animals appeared on Earth even longer ago than thought, according to a more than 500mn-year-old fossil trove uncovered in south-west China that shows the power of symmetry in evolution.
The discovery dates the surge in oceanic evolutionary diversity known as the Cambrian explosion to before the start of the eponymous geological period 539mn years ago, says research published on Thursday.
The find captures a critical moment when simpler creatures began to evolve into more advanced ones with capabilities that would eventually enable them to thrive on land.
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