The oldest known fossils of multicellular organisms are known from rocks of what was formerly called the Precambrian Eon.
The Precambrian was long regarded as a time before life appeared, as there were no known fossils from the ancient rocks. The appearance of abundant shelly fossils was taken to mark the end of the Precambrian and the beginning of the subsequent Cambrian Period.
Because of the presumption that Precambrian rocks contained no fossils, the first discovered Ediacarian organisms were not recognized as being organic remains. It was only after multiple similar faunas from Newfoundland, Africa, Australia, and England were discovered that the true significance of these strange creatures was appreciated.
For smashing one of the earliest paradigms of fossil distribution, the Ediacara biota earns a spot on our list of 5 great fossil faunas.
For more information on the Ediacaran organisms click on the title, above.
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