Love this story: Charnia masoni, the first confirmed Ediacaran fossil, was found independently by two kids, Tina Negus and Roger Mason, in Charnwood Forest, UK. The leaf-like impressions had been seen before but dismissed as geological features. Dated to 560-570 million years old, it now sits in Leicester Museum.
Charnia masoni: first Ediacaran fossil found by children in UK
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Key facts
- Charnia masoni was the first fossil found in rocks dating to the Ediacaran period, discovered in Charnwood Forest in the UK
- It was discovered independently by two children, Tina Negus and Charles Mason, approximately one year apart
- Marks had been noticed in the quarry before but were believed to be geological, not biological
- The specimen is housed at the Leicester Museum
- Dated to between 550 and 570 million years ago, at least 20 million years before the Cambrian explosion
- It shows clear branching structure characteristic of a prehistoric animal
Sources
Charniaen.wikipedia.org
Charnia masoni was first described from the Maplewell Group in Charnwood Forest in England and was subsequently found in Ediacara Hills in Australia,
Discovering Charniacharnwoodforest.org
The discovery was published in 1958 by Trevor Ford, in the journal Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. The full name of the fossil is Charnia ...
Bradgate Park fossil named by researchersbbc.com
Charnia brasieri, which was found at Bradgate Park, would have lived on the ancient seafloor about 560 million years ago, and is "one of the ...
Charnia masoni - www.Ediacaran.orgediacaran.org
Charnia masoni was the first Ediacaran fossil to be recognised as coming from demonstrably Precambrian strata and therefore played a fundamental role in ...
560-million-year-old fossil is first animal predatorbgs.ac.uk
In 1957, a fern-like impression in stone turned out to be one of the oldest fossilised animals, Charnia masoni. Sir David Attenborough 'truly ...
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