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Health & Science2h 27m ago

Extraordinary fossil discoveries described by researchers led by a team from Northwest University in China have established that bryozoans were present during the Cambrian explosion.

Xiannüdong Formation in southern Shaanxi, China

Who
researchers led by a team from Northwest University in China, Lars Holmer, Baopeng Song, Timothy Topper
What
Extraordinary fossil discoveries described by researchers led by a team from Northwest University in China have established that bryozoans were present during the Cambrian explosion.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:04:42 GMT · 2h 27m ago
Where
Xiannüdong Formation in southern Shaanxi, China ·
Why
The fossils, which include preserved internal soft tissues, definitively confirm the Cambrian origin of bryozoans, resolving a long-standing mystery about where this key group of organisms fits in the history of natural evolution.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery pushes back the known origin of bryozoans by 50 million years, indicating that they were not only present during the Cambrian explosion but were already relatively advanced, thereby closing a significant gap in the fossil record and prompting a re-evaluation of their ancient evolutionary family tree.

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    Extraordinary fossil discoveries described by researchers led by a team from Northwest University in China have established that bryozoans were present during the Cambrian explosion.
  2. Health & Science2h 27m ago
    Extraordinary fossil discoveries described by researchers from Northwest University in China have established that bryozoans were present during the Cambrian explosion.
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