研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)了一批新的化石,，是神秘的、前寒武紀(jì)的埃迪亞加拉(Ediacaran)動物的化石,，化石保留著三維的特性,。埃迪亞加拉動物被認(rèn)為是寒武紀(jì)大爆發(fā)的“導(dǎo)火索”。因?yàn)榘５蟻喖永瓌游锸擒涹w的,，所以它們的化石很難找到,，人們對它們也缺乏了解。加拿大紐芬蘭的錯(cuò)誤點(diǎn)(Mistaken Point)有埃迪亞加拉動物的化石集合,，在此之前研究人員在那里只發(fā)現(xiàn)過二維的印記樣品?，F(xiàn)在，Guy M. Narbonne描述了一組從這個(gè)化石集合中找到的三維的化石,，其中有保存下來的30微米之小的特征,。和其他在錯(cuò)誤點(diǎn)找到的同類化石一樣,，這些生物體看起來有點(diǎn)像植物，有從干上分支出來的被稱為“小葉(frondlet)”的結(jié)構(gòu),。這些小葉結(jié)構(gòu)可能是由莖支撐在海底上面,，自由地漂浮的。新化石還展示了一些以前沒有看到過的小葉排列,。Narbonne說,，現(xiàn)代動物沒有明顯的類似結(jié)構(gòu)。

Modular Construction of Early Ediacaran Complex Life Forms
Newly discovered, exceptionally preserved, soft-bodied fossils near Spaniard's Bay in northeastern Newfoundland exhibit features not previously described from Ediacaran (terminal Neoproterozoic) fossils. All of the Spaniard's Bay taxa were composed of similar architectural elements--centimeter-scale frondlets exhibiting three orders of fracticality in branching. Frondlets were combined as modules atop semi-rigid organic skeletons to form a wide array of larger constructions, including frondose and plumose structures. This architecture and construction defines the "rangeomorphs," a biological clade that dominated the Mistaken Point assemblage (575-560 Ma) but does not appear to be related to any Phanerozoic or modern organisms.