FIGURE 7.2. The Ediacara fauna consists of the impressions of soft-bodied fossils without skeletons, whose
biological affinities are still controversial. (A) The wormlike segmented creatures Dickinsonia, which reached
almost a meter in length. (B) The elongated segmented creature Spriggina. (C) The odd form Parvancorina,
which has been linked to arthropods. (D) A reconstruction of the Ediacaran community, with most of the
fossils assumed to be related to jellyfish, sea pens, and worms. (Photos courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)
(A) (B) (C)
(D)