Cambrian Explosion - More Like Precambrian Explosion and Cambrian Skeletonization

This course examines the Ediacaran-to-Cambrian transition, challenging the idea of a sudden explosion of life and emphasizing earlier animal diversification and Cambrian skeletonization. It discusses fossil-record limitations, extinction events, oxygenation, predation, and ocean chemistry as factors shaping early animal evolution.

Syllabus

Was it really an Explosion?
Since Naming the Cambrian Explosion…
Ediacaran Fauna
Major Animal Groups Predate Cambrian
Mass Extinction of Ediacaran Fauna
What Caused Ediacaran Extinction?
Patchy Fossil Record Makes it Difficult…
Ediacaran vs Cambrian Fauna
New Cambrian Life
Huge Cambrian Predators
Mysterious Cambrian Extinctions
Major Cause of Cambrian Explosion
Why Low Diversity for First 4 ~Billion Yrs on Earth?
Why High Diversity After ~600 Ma?
What Caused O2 increase ~600 Ma?
Summary of Ediacaran to Cambrian Events
Related Videos & References