A pink sponge, photographed at an aquarium today, is not unlike one of the first life forms that appeared in the Precambrian era. Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark The ...

This tiny fossil, measuring just a few centimeters, is significant as it is the oldest confirmed ecdysozoan and the only one known from the Precambrian era. Lead researcher Ian Hughes, a Ph.D. can ...