Cambrian Period
The Cambrian explosion saw the rapid diversification of most major animal phyla, fundamentally transforming life on Earth.
The Cambrian Period, spanning roughly 541 to 485 million years ago, witnessed the most dramatic burst of evolutionary change in Earth's history. Known as the Cambrian Explosion, this era saw the rapid appearance of most major animal phyla in the fossil record. Complex animals with eyes, shells, and skeletons emerged for the first time. The Burgess Shale and Chengjiang fossil sites provide extraordinary windows into this pivotal chapter of life on Earth.
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