Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery with the finding of a 550-million-year-old fossil in Nilpena Ediacara National Park in South Australia, shedding light on the origins of Earth’s first animals. This significant finding was recently published in the journal of Evolution & Development.

The fossil, named Quaestio simpsonorum, lived some 555 million years ago in the so-called Ediacaran Period, a key time in the history of life when complex, multicellular life first evolved. It is the earliest known remains of an ancient creature that exhibits clear left-right asymmetry, marking it as part of the oldest group of multicellular organisms on the planet.

The research team plans to conduct further in-depth investigations within the nearly 60,700-hectare national park, aiming to uncover more evidence about the evolution of early life on Earth.