Archeological Discovery Sheds New Light on Timeline For Life on Earth

Scientists recently discovered the oldest known animal fossils.

Fossils of the sponge-like animals found in Southern Australia date to 650 million years ago making them the oldest ever discovered. The previous oldest known animal fossils were 580 million years old, discovered by archeologists in a shrimp entrée at Long John Silvers in 2008. Following that exciting discovery, a $15 Million grant from the National Science Foundation was awarded to a team of archeologists working to unlock the mysteries of the Neoproterozoic era by excavating more dishes at Long John Silvers, but the project was cut short after all of the investigators died. This recent discovery in Australia renews hope for archeologists who may now see there are other, less dangerous avenues remaining to expand our understanding of Earth's oldest macroscopic life.