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By Ross Anderson, Associate Professor of Natural History, University of OxfordOrin Lole Durbin, PhD Student, Geosciences, Virginia Tech The question of when animals first evolved is one that has confounded scientists since the time of Charles Darwin. Studying rocks in north Wales in the mid-18th century, Darwin found the sudden first appearance of animal shells and skeletons in layers dating back over 500 million years perplexing. He had predicted a long history of evolution, with animals slowly gaining complexity through time, rather than this apparent instantaneous appearance of complex animals. The sudden appearance of complex animals has led scientists to argue that animals must have a “hidden history”, a period… Read complete article© The Conversation

The question of when animals first evolved is one that has confounded scientists since the time of Charles Darwin. Studying rocks in north Wales in the mid-19th century, Darwin found the sudden first appearance of animal shells and skeletons in layers dating back over 500 million years perplexing. He had predicted a long history of evolution, with animals slowly gaining complexity through time, rather than this apparent instantaneous appearance of complex animals. The sudden appearance of complex animals has led scientists to argue that animals must have a “hidden history”, a period in Earth’s past prior to their fossil record where they existed but have left no trace of their presence in the rocks. Our new study may help scientists understand how long this hidden history may have lasted.

Archaeologists are currently excavating a large area at one of Norway’s most spectacular burial sites: the Hunn burial ground in eastern Norway. On what is known as the South Field, there are many well-known circles of standing stones. Archaeologist Anne Lene Melheim points out the stone circles that have stood here for more than 2,000 years. Alongside the already known stone circles, archaeologists have now uncovered what they believe to be additional stone circles that had remained hidden beneath the topsoil. The discovery was made in a new area near what is known as the West Field. Anne Lene Melheim on her way out to the South Field at Hunn.