Concept explainers
The Cambrian period is considered as the first geological time period of the Paleozoic Era. This period is very crucial in the history of life that exist on the earth. We begin to see various fossilized remains of animals of the Cambrian period. Sometimes this event is referred to as the Cambrian explosion.
Explanation of Solution
Cambrian explosion is the term that indicates a burst of animal diversity. During the Cambrian period, the body plans characteristic of most bilateral phyla took shape. This period of rapid diversification in the fossil record is known as the Cambrian explosion.
The fossil record reveals that a large accumulation of new characters in a comparatively short span of time during which the important attributes of modern animal phyla emerged. For instance, arthropods possess segmented bodies with jointed legs, a protective cuticle, compound eyes with several lenses, and other appendages for feeding and sensing the surroundings. Cambrian fossils encompass the remains of organisms with some, however, not all, of the major features exist currently in arthropods
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LAUNCHPAD ACCESS BIOL HOW LIFE WORKS 3E
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- please see attachedarrow_forwardThe Cambrian Explosion occurred due to the widespread adoption of bilateral symmetry and the extinction of the Ediacaran fauna. What is this burst of diversity referred to? Explain what kind of triggers these two factors are and why they led to greater diversity.arrow_forwardThe Cambrian explosion is a conundrum: how can the long prior history of the phyla, revealed by molecular divergence, be reconciled with their absence, and then sudden appearance, in the fossil record?arrow_forward
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