Ediacaran biota

The Ediacaran biota refers to a diverse group of ancient life forms that lived during the Ediacaran period, roughly 635 to 541 million years ago. These organisms are some of the earliest complex multicellular life, predating the dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years. Found mainly in fossilized form, they include a variety of strange, soft-bodied creatures, some resembling modern jellyfish or worms. The Ediacaran biota marked a significant step in evolution, as it showcases the transition from simple single-celled organisms to more complex life forms, setting the stage for the explosion of life that followed in the Cambrian period.