Cryogenian fossils

Cryogenian fossils refer to ancient remains of life from the Cryogenian period (about 720 to 635 million years ago), a time when Earth was often covered in ice—sometimes called "Snowball Earth." These fossils include microbial mats and simple organisms that survived extreme cold conditions. They provide valuable insights into early life resilience and the environment of our planet before complex animals appeared. Although these fossils are often microscopic, they are crucial for understanding the origins and evolution of life during Earth's most severe ice ages.