During which geological period did *Wiwaxia* first appear, appearing approximately 508 million years ago?
Answer
Middle Cambrian period.
The organism *Wiwaxia* existed during the Middle Cambrian period, a time of intense diversification in the history of animal life, often referred to as the Cambrian explosion. This places its appearance roughly 508 million years ago. This specific temporal context is vital because it represents a time when fundamental animal body plans were being rapidly tested and refined. *Wiwaxia*'s unique morphology, including its complex external armor, serves as a prime example of the strange and varied evolutionary experiments occurring during this pivotal era before selection pressures favored the body plans that would dominate subsequent geological periods.
#Videos
the evolution of wiwaxia
Related Questions
What protected the dorsal side of *Wiwaxia corrugata* against early predators?Where does *Wiwaxia* sit phylogenetically within the Lophotrochozoa superphylum?During which geological period did *Wiwaxia* first appear, appearing approximately 508 million years ago?What characteristic feature allowed *Wiwaxia* to crawl across the soft Cambrian seabed sediments?What ecological role best describes the feeding strategy employed by *Wiwaxia*?What primary functions were hypothesized for the two prominent, anterior tentacles of *Wiwaxia*?How did *Wiwaxia*'s armor structure differ fundamentally from typical mollusks?Where are the famous, exceptionally detailed *Wiwaxia* fossils predominantly discovered?What major historical biological event does the study of *Wiwaxia* illuminate regarding animal body plans?How did *Wiwaxia*'s dermal armor contrast with the exoskeleton strategy of the arthropod *Sidneyia*?