Scientists Uncovered Evidence of What Could Be Earth's First Mass Animal Extinction

Since the Cambrian explosion 538.8 million years ago – a time when many of the animal phyla we're familiar with today were established – five major mass extinction events have whittled down the biodiversity of all creatures great and small.
Last year, researchers from the US published evidence of one occurring earlier, around 550 million years ago during a period known as the Ediacaran.
Though the oceans teemed with a few familiar animals like sponges and jellyfish, most life during this early period of biological history would seem alien to us now. Many of the animals were soft-bodied. Some looked more like plant fronds stuck in place. Others had some form of shell.
Scientists Uncovered Evidence of What Could Be Earth's First Mass Animal Extinction