Student with microscope

 Students

Students

At Shape of Life we believe PLAY is the best form of science research. We encourage everyone to lift rocks and get messy. A whole world opens up from our curiosity.

Handout Material

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  • Top of the Tree of Life with Species
    Factsheet
    Cambrian Explosion

    The Cambrian Explosion was a burst of animal evolution that occurred in the ocean about 540 million years ago.

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  • Earth from space
    Reading
    Cambrian Explosion: A BIG BANG in the Evolution of Animals

    For most of Earth's early history, there simply was no fossil record. Only recently have we come to discover otherwise: Life is virtually as old as the planet itself, and even the most ancient sedimentary rocks have yielded fossilized remains of primitive forms of life.

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Creature

Comb Jelly (Ctenophore)

Ctenophores are absolutely beautiful creatures. Known as comb jellies, they use eight longitudinal rows of cilia for locomotion. When the cilia beat, light is scattered, producing a rainbow of colors. Find Out More Here

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Red Lobe

Did you Know?

WHAT?! Comb Jellies are the FIRST ANIMAL!

If you look closely at the Tree of Life on our website, you will see a question mark on the ctenophore branch. See the new first animal.

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comb jelly

Scientist

Henry Gee, Senior Editor, Biological Sciences, Nature; writer and narrator of the animated Tree of Life

Henry Gee is a self-confessed, card-carrying “Paleo-nerd”. Like the Tree of Life, once he starts creating, you just can’t keep Henry down.

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Gee