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The fossil record and the early evolution of the Metazoa

Abstract

The appearance of the multicellular animals, or Metazoa, in the fossil record about 600 million years ago marks a revolution in the history of life. Molecular biology is continuing to increase our understanding of metazoan evolution, yet information from fossils is still an important component in deciphering metazoan phylogeny, and data on rapidly radiating animal groups place early metazoan evolution in a new perspective.

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Morris, S. The fossil record and the early evolution of the Metazoa. Nature 361, 219–225 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/361219a0

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