61-478: Vendoconularia is a genus of Ediacaran organism consisting of a hexagonal cone, which is thought to have housed a tentaculate organism. Three longitudinal bands are interspersed between the six sides of the cone. The discovery of vendoconulariids in Proterozoic strata of Russia confirmed a 1987 prediction that conulariids constituted part of Ediacaran biota. This Ediacaran biota -related article
122-618: A streamlined body. Many flowers are also radially symmetric, or " actinomorphic ". Roughly identical floral structures – petals , sepals , and stamens – occur at regular intervals around the axis of the flower, which is often the female reproductive organ containing the carpel , style and stigma . Three-fold triradial symmetry was present in Trilobozoa from the Late Ediacaran period. Four-fold tetramerism appears in some jellyfish, such as Aurelia marginalis . This
183-406: A bottom surface, or a front and a back. George Cuvier classified animals with radial symmetry in the taxon Radiata ( Zoophytes ), which is now generally accepted to be an assemblage of different animal phyla that do not share a single common ancestor (a polyphyletic group). Most radially symmetric animals are symmetrical about an axis extending from the center of the oral surface, which contains
244-521: A chemically distinctive carbonate layer that is referred to as a " cap carbonate ", because it caps glacial deposits. This bed is characterized by an unusual depletion of C that indicates a sudden climatic change at the end of the Marinoan ice age . The lower global boundary stratotype section (GSSP) of the Ediacaran is at the base of the cap carbonate (Nuccaleena Formation), immediately above
305-447: A distinct head and tail) is called cephalization . It is also argued that the development of an AP axis is important in locomotion – bilateral symmetry gives the body an intrinsic direction and allows streamlining to reduce drag . In addition to animals, the flowers of some plants also show bilateral symmetry. Such plants are referred to as zygomorphic and include the orchid ( Orchidaceae ) and pea ( Fabaceae ) families, and most of
366-596: A diverse community of previously unrecognized lifeforms (later named the Ediacaran biota ) were first discovered by geologist Reg Sprigg in 1946. Its status as an official geological period was ratified in 2004 by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), making it the first new geological period declared in 120 years. Although the period took namesake from the Ediacara Hills in
427-671: A name that was earlier, in 1952, proposed by Russian geologist and paleontologist Boris Sokolov . The Vendian concept was formed stratigraphically top-down, and the lower boundary of the Cambrian became the upper boundary of the Vendian. Paleontological substantiation of this boundary was worked out separately for the siliciclastic basin (base of the Baltic Stage of the Eastern European Platform ) and for
488-538: A number of species of Radiolaria , some of whose skeletons are shaped like various regular polyhedra. Examples include Circoporus octahedrus , Circogonia icosahedra , Lithocubus geometricus and Circorrhegma dodecahedra . The shapes of these creatures should be obvious from their names. Tetrahedral symmetry is not present in Callimitra agnesae . Spherical symmetry is characterised by the ability to draw an endless, or great but finite, number of symmetry axes through
549-487: A particular direction. This creates a unidirectional flow of signalling molecules causing these signals to accumulate on one side of the embryo and not the other. This results in the activation of different developmental pathways on each side, and subsequent asymmetry. Much of the investigation of the genetic basis of symmetry breaking has been done on chick embryos. In chick embryos the left side expresses genes called NODAL and LEFTY2 that activate PITX2 to signal
610-400: A repeating pattern around a central axis such that they can be separated into several identical pieces when cut through the central point, much like pieces of a pie. Typically, this involves repeating a body part 4, 5, 6 or 8 times around the axis – referred to as tetramerism, pentamerism, hexamerism and octamerism, respectively. Such organisms exhibit no left or right sides but do have a top and
671-561: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Precambrian animal -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ediacaran The Ediacaran ( / ˌ iː d i ˈ æ k ər ə n , ˌ ɛ d i -/ EE -dee- AK -ər-ən, ED -ee- ) is a geological period of the Neoproterozoic Era that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period at 635 Mya to
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#1732801330885732-447: Is a severe over-simplification as bacterial cells can be curved, bent, flattened, oblong spheroids and many more shapes. Due to the huge number of bacteria considered to be cocci (coccus if a single cell), it is unlikely that all of these show true spherical symmetry. It is important to distinguish between the generalized use of the word 'spherical' to describe organisms at ease, and the true meaning of spherical symmetry. The same situation
793-501: Is an anterior – posterior (AP) axis which can be visualised as an imaginary axis running from the head or mouth to the tail or other end of an organism. The second is the dorsal – ventral (DV) axis which runs perpendicular to the AP axis. During development the AP axis is always specified before the DV axis, which is known as the second embryonic axis . The AP axis is essential in defining
854-544: Is due to the expression of CYCLOIDEA genes. Evidence for the role of the CYCLOIDEA gene family comes from mutations in these genes which cause a reversion to radial symmetry. The CYCLOIDEA genes encode transcription factors , proteins which control the expression of other genes. This allows their expression to influence developmental pathways relating to symmetry. For example, in Antirrhinum majus , CYCLOIDEA
915-407: Is expressed during early development in the dorsal domain of the flower meristem and continues to be expressed later on in the dorsal petals to control their size and shape. It is believed that the evolution of specialized pollinators may play a part in the transition of radially symmetrical flowers to bilaterally symmetrical flowers. Symmetry is often selected for in the evolution of animals. This
976-429: Is illustrated by the fact that groups of animals have traditionally been defined by this feature in taxonomic groupings. The Radiata , animals with radial symmetry, formed one of the four branches of Georges Cuvier 's classification of the animal kingdom . Meanwhile, Bilateria is a taxonomic grouping still used today to represent organisms with embryonic bilateral symmetry. Organisms with radial symmetry show
1037-400: Is immediately obvious when looking at the jellyfish due to the presence of four gonads , visible through its translucent body. This radial symmetry is ecologically important in allowing the jellyfish to detect and respond to stimuli (mainly food and danger) from all directions. Flowering plants show five-fold pentamerism, in many of their flowers and fruits. This is easily seen through
1098-430: Is known to be under selection, the evolutionary history of different types of symmetry in animals is an area of extensive debate. Traditionally it has been suggested that bilateral animals evolved from a radial ancestor . Cnidarians , a phylum containing animals with radial symmetry, are the most closely related group to the bilaterians. Cnidarians are one of two groups of early animals considered to have defined structure,
1159-442: Is more common than originally accounted for. Like all the traits of organisms, symmetry (or indeed asymmetry) evolves due to an advantage to the organism – a process of natural selection . This involves changes in the frequency of symmetry-related genes throughout time. Early flowering plants had radially symmetric flowers but since then many plants have evolved bilaterally symmetrical flowers. The evolution of bilateral symmetry
1220-415: Is seen in the description of viruses – 'spherical' viruses do not necessarily show spherical symmetry, being usually icosahedral. Organisms with bilateral symmetry contain a single plane of symmetry, the sagittal plane , which divides the organism into two roughly mirror image left and right halves – approximate reflectional symmetry. Animals with bilateral symmetry are classified into a large group called
1281-503: Is that an ancestral animal had no symmetry (was asymmetric) before cnidarians and bilaterians separated into different evolutionary lineages . Radial symmetry could have then evolved in cnidarians and bilateral symmetry in bilaterians. Alternatively, the second suggestion is that an ancestor of cnidarians and bilaterians had bilateral symmetry before the cnidarians evolved and became different by having radial symmetry. Both potential explanations are being explored and evidence continues to fuel
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#17328013308851342-427: Is unsurprising since asymmetry is often an indication of unfitness – either defects during development or injuries throughout a lifetime. This is most apparent during mating during which females of some species select males with highly symmetrical features. Additionally, female barn swallows , a species where adults have long tail streamers, prefer to mate with males that have the most symmetrical tails. While symmetry
1403-717: The Nilpena Ediacara National Park , the type section is actually located in the bed of the Enorama Creek within the Brachina Gorge in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park , at 31°19′53.8″S 138°38′0.1″E / 31.331611°S 138.633361°E / -31.331611; 138.633361 , approximately 55 km (34 mi) southeast of the Ediacara Hills fossil site. The Ediacaran marks
1464-661: The Shuram excursion is prolonged and is estimated to last for ~9.0 Myrs. As to the Treptichnus pedum , a reference ichnofossil for the lower boundary of the Cambrian, its usage for the stratigraphic detection of this boundary is always risky, because of the occurrence of very similar trace fossils belonging to the Treptichnids group well below the level of T. pedum in Namibia , Spain and Newfoundland , and possibly, in
1525-450: The bilateria , which contains 99% of all animals (comprising over 32 phyla and 1 million described species). All bilaterians have some asymmetrical features; for example, the human heart and liver are positioned asymmetrically despite the body having external bilateral symmetry. The bilateral symmetry of bilaterians is a complex trait which develops due to the expression of many genes . The bilateria have two axes of polarity . The first
1586-419: The body plans of most multicellular organisms exhibit, and are defined by, some form of symmetry. There are only a few types of symmetry which are possible in body plans. These are radial (cylindrical) symmetry, bilateral , biradial and spherical symmetry. While the classification of viruses as an "organism" remains controversial, viruses also contain icosahedral symmetry . The importance of symmetry
1647-674: The carbonate basin (base of the Tommotian stage of the Siberian Platform ). The lower boundary of the Vendian was suggested to be defined at the base of the Varanger ( Laplandian ) tillites . The Vendian in its type area consists of large subdivisions such as Laplandian, Redkino , Kotlin and Rovno regional stages with the globally traceable subdivisions and their boundaries, including its lower one. The Redkino, Kotlin and Rovno regional stages have been substantiated in
1708-655: The corals and sea anemones (class Anthozoa ), which are divided into two groups based on their symmetry. The most common corals in the subclass Hexacorallia have a hexameric body plan; their polyps have six-fold internal symmetry and a number of tentacles that is a multiple of six. Octamerism is found in corals of the subclass Octocorallia . These have polyps with eight tentacles and octameric radial symmetry. The octopus , however, has bilateral symmetry, despite its eight arms. Icosahedral symmetry occurs in an organism which contains 60 subunits generated by 20 faces, each an equilateral triangle , and 12 corners. Within
1769-402: The icosahedron there is 2-fold, 3-fold and 5-fold symmetry . Many viruses, including canine parvovirus , show this form of symmetry due to the presence of an icosahedral viral shell . Such symmetry has evolved because it allows the viral particle to be built up of repetitive subunits consisting of a limited number of structural proteins (encoded by viral genes ), thereby saving space in
1830-594: The western United States . The stratigraphic range of T. pedum overlaps the range of the Ediacaran fossils in Namibia, and probably in Spain. The Ediacaran Period is not yet formally subdivided, but a proposed scheme recognises an Upper Ediacaran whose base corresponds with the Gaskiers glaciation , a Terminal Ediacaran Stage starting around 550 million years ago , a preceding stage beginning around 575 Ma with
1891-515: The Avalon explosion 575 million years ago and died out during the End-Ediacaran extinction event 539 million years ago. Forerunners of some modern animal phyla also appeared during this period, including cnidarians and early bilaterians , as well as mollusc -like Kimberella . Hard-bodied organisms with mineralized shells also began their fossil record in the last few million years of
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1952-527: The C-isotope data are concerned, due to primary lateral variations of δ C carb in the upper layer of the ocean. Furthermore, Oman presents in its stratigraphic record a large negative carbon isotope excursion, within the Shuram Formation that is clearly away from any glacial evidence strongly questioning systematic association of negative δ C carb excursion and glacial events. Also,
2013-469: The Ediacaran. The supercontinent Pannotia formed and broke apart by the end of the period. The Ediacaran also witnessed several glaciation events , such as the Gaskiers and Baykonurian glaciations . The Shuram excursion also occurred during this period, but its glacial origin is unlikely. The Ediacaran Period overlaps but is shorter than the Vendian Period (650 to 543 million years ago),
2074-753: The Elatina diamictite in the Enorama Creek section, Brachina Gorge, Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The GSSP of the upper boundary of the Ediacaran is the lower boundary of the Cambrian on the SE coast of Newfoundland approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy as a preferred alternative to the base of the Tommotian Stage in Siberia which was selected on the basis of the ichnofossil Treptichnus pedum (Seilacher, 1955). In
2135-677: The Nama biotic assemblage. There is evidence for a mass extinction during this period from early animals changing the environment, dating to the same time as the transition between the White Sea and the Nama-type biotas. Alternatively, this mass extinction has also been theorised to have been the result of an anoxic event . The relative proximity of the Moon at this time meant that tides were stronger and more rapid than they are now. The day
2196-519: The age range of 635 to 538.8 million years is based on correlations to other countries where dating has been possible. The base age of approximately 635 million years is based on U–Pb ( uranium – lead ) and Re–Os ( rhenium – osmium ) dating from Africa, China, North America, and Tasmania. The fossil record from the Ediacaran Period is sparse, as more easily fossilized hard-shelled animals had yet to evolve. The Ediacaran biota include
2257-434: The anatomical asymmetry which we observe. These levels include asymmetric gene expression, protein expression, and activity of cells. For example, left–right asymmetry in mammals has been investigated extensively in the embryos of mice. Such studies have led to support for the nodal flow hypothesis. In a region of the embryo referred to as the node there are small hair-like structures ( monocilia ) that all rotate together in
2318-403: The arrangement of five carpels (seed pockets) in an apple when cut transversely . Among animals, only the echinoderms such as sea stars , sea urchins , and sea lilies are pentamerous as adults, with five arms arranged around the mouth. Being bilaterian animals, however, they initially develop with mirror symmetry as larvae, then gain pentaradial symmetry later. Hexamerism is found in
2379-686: The beginning of the Cambrian Period at 538.8 Mya. It is the last period of the Proterozoic Eon as well as the last of the so-called " Precambrian supereon", before the beginning of the subsequent Cambrian Period marks the start of the Phanerozoic Eon, where recognizable fossil evidence of life becomes common. The Ediacaran Period is named after the Ediacara Hills of South Australia , where trace fossils of
2440-471: The body of an organism. Importantly, unlike in mathematics, symmetry in biology is always approximate. For example, plant leaves – while considered symmetrical – rarely match up exactly when folded in half. Symmetry is one class of patterns in nature whereby there is near-repetition of the pattern element, either by reflection or rotation . While sponges and placozoans represent two groups of animals which do not show any symmetry (i.e. are asymmetrical),
2501-567: The body. This means that spherical symmetry occurs in an organism if it is able to be cut into two identical halves through any cut that runs through the organism's center. True spherical symmetry is not found in animal body plans. Organisms which show approximate spherical symmetry include the freshwater green alga Volvox . Bacteria are often referred to as having a 'spherical' shape. Bacteria are categorized based on their shapes into three classes: cocci (spherical-shaped), bacillus (rod-shaped) and spirochetes (spiral-shaped) cells. In reality, this
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2562-431: The cap carbonates in a rather short distance but cap carbonates do not occur above every tillite elsewhere in the world. The C-isotope chemostratigraphic characteristics obtained for contemporaneous cap carbonates in different parts of the world may be variable in a wide range owing to different degrees of secondary alteration of carbonates, dissimilar criteria used for selection of the least altered samples, and, as far as
2623-458: The debate. Although asymmetry is typically associated with being unfit, some species have evolved to be asymmetrical as an important adaptation . Many members of the phylum Porifera (sponges) have no symmetry, though some are radially symmetric. The presence of these asymmetrical features requires a process of symmetry breaking during development, both in plants and animals. Symmetry breaking occurs at several different levels in order to generate
2684-470: The development of left side structures. Whereas, the right side does not express PITX2 and consequently develops right side structures. A more complete pathway is shown in the image at the side of the page. For more information about symmetry breaking in animals please refer to the left–right asymmetry page. Plants also show asymmetry. For example the direction of helical growth in Arabidopsis ,
2745-727: The earliest widespread Ediacaran biota fossils; two proposed schemes differ on whether the lower strata should be divided into an Early and Middle Ediacaran or not, because it is not clear whether the Shuram excursion (which would divide the Early and Middle) is a separate event from the Gaskiers, or whether the two events are correlated. The dating of the rock type section of the Ediacaran Period in South Australia has proven uncertain due to lack of overlying igneous material. Therefore,
2806-496: The evolution of bilateral symmetry from a radially symmetric ancestor. The animal group with the most obvious biradial symmetry is the ctenophores . In ctenophores the two planes of symmetry are (1) the plane of the tentacles and (2) the plane of the pharynx. In addition to this group, evidence for biradial symmetry has even been found in the 'perfectly radial' freshwater polyp Hydra (a cnidarian). Biradial symmetry, especially when considering both internal and external features,
2867-449: The face of a human being has a plane of symmetry down its centre, or a pine cone displays a clear symmetrical spiral pattern. Internal features can also show symmetry, for example the tubes in the human body (responsible for transporting gases , nutrients , and waste products) which are cylindrical and have several planes of symmetry. Biological symmetry can be thought of as a balanced distribution of duplicate body parts or shapes within
2928-447: The figwort family ( Scrophulariaceae ). The leaves of plants also commonly show approximate bilateral symmetry. Biradial symmetry is found in organisms which show morphological features (internal or external) of both bilateral and radial symmetry. Unlike radially symmetrical organisms which can be divided equally along many planes, biradial organisms can only be cut equally along two planes. This could represent an intermediate stage in
2989-860: The first widespread appearance of complex multicellular fauna following the end of the Cryogenian global glaciation known as the Snowball Earth . The relatively sudden evolutionary radiation event, known as the Avalon Explosion , is represented by now-extinct, relatively simple soft-bodied animal phyla such as Proarticulata ( bilaterians with simple articulation , e.g. Dickinsonia and Spriggina ), Petalonamae ( sea pen -like animals, e.g. Charnia ), Aspidella (radial-shaped animals, e.g. Cyclomedusa ) and Trilobozoa (animals with tri-radial symmetry , e.g. Tribrachidium ). Most of these organisms appeared during or after
3050-494: The history of stratigraphy it was the first case of usage of bioturbations for the System boundary definition. Nevertheless, the definitions of the lower and upper boundaries of the Ediacaran on the basis of chemostratigraphy and ichnofossils are disputable. Cap carbonates generally have a restricted geographic distribution (due to specific conditions of their precipitation) and usually siliciclastic sediments laterally replace
3111-608: The most commonly studied model plant, shows left-handedness. Interestingly, the genes involved in this asymmetry are similar (closely related) to those in animal asymmetry – both LEFTY1 and LEFTY2 play a role. In the same way as animals, symmetry breaking in plants can occur at a molecular (genes/proteins), subcellular, cellular, tissue and organ level. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), is a form of biological asymmetry , along with anti-symmetry and direction asymmetry. Fluctuating asymmetry refers to small, random deviations away from perfect bilateral symmetry. This deviation from perfection
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#17328013308853172-571: The mouth, to the center of the opposite (aboral) end. Animals in the phyla Cnidaria and Echinodermata generally show radial symmetry, although many sea anemones and some corals within the Cnidaria have bilateral symmetry defined by a single structure, the siphonoglyph . Radial symmetry is especially suitable for sessile animals such as the sea anemone, floating animals such as jellyfish , and slow moving organisms such as starfish ; whereas bilateral symmetry favours locomotion by generating
3233-687: The oldest definite multicellular organisms (with specialized tissues), the most common types of which resemble segmented worms, fronds, disks, or immobile bags. Auroralumina was a cnidarian . Most members of the Ediacaran biota bear little resemblance to modern lifeforms, and their relationship even with the immediately following lifeforms of the Cambrian explosion is rather difficult to interpret. More than 100 genera have been described, and well known forms include Arkarua , Charnia , Dickinsonia , Ediacaria , Marywadea , Cephalonega , Pteridinium , and Yorgia . However, despite
3294-486: The overall enigmaticness of most Ediacaran organisms, some fossils identifiable as hard-shelled agglutinated foraminifera (which are not classified as animals) are known from latest Ediacaran sediments of western Siberia. Sponges recognisable as such also lived during the Ediacaran. Four different biotic intervals are known in the Ediacaran, each being characterised by the prominence of a unique ecology and faunal assemblage. The first spanned from 635 to around 575 Ma and
3355-475: The polarity of bilateria and allowing the development of a front and back to give the organism direction. The front end encounters the environment before the rest of the body so sensory organs such as eyes tend to be clustered there. This is also the site where a mouth develops since it is the first part of the body to encounter food. Therefore, a distinct head, with sense organs connected to a central nervous system, tends to develop. This pattern of development (with
3416-418: The second being the ctenophores . Ctenophores show biradial symmetry leading to the suggestion that they represent an intermediate step in the evolution of bilateral symmetry from radial symmetry. Interpretations based only on morphology are not sufficient to explain the evolution of symmetry. Two different explanations are proposed for the different symmetries in cnidarians and bilateria. The first suggestion
3477-401: The time from the end of global Marinoan glaciation to the first appearance worldwide of somewhat complicated trace fossils ( Treptichnus pedum (Seilacher, 1955)). Although the Ediacaran Period does contain soft-bodied fossils , it is unusual in comparison to later periods because its beginning is not defined by a change in the fossil record. Rather, the beginning is defined at the base of
3538-474: The type area of the Vendian on the basis of the abundant organic-walled microfossils , megascopic algae, metazoan body fossils and ichnofossils . The lower boundary of the Vendian could have a biostratigraphic substantiation as well taking into consideration the worldwide occurrence of the Pertatataka assemblage of giant acanthomorph acritarchs . The Ediacaran Period (c. 635–538.8 Mya) represents
3599-494: The viral genome . The icosahedral symmetry can still be maintained with more than 60 subunits, but only in multiples of 60. For example, the T=3 Tomato bushy stunt virus has 60x3 protein subunits (180 copies of the same structural protein). Although these viruses are often referred to as 'spherical', they do not show true mathematical spherical symmetry. In the early 20th century, Ernst Haeckel described (Haeckel, 1904)
3660-445: Was 21.9 ± 0.4 hours, and there were 13.1 ± 0.1 synodic months/year and 400 ± 7 solar days/year. A few English language documentaries have featured the Ediacaran Period and biota: Symmetry in biology#Subtypes of radial symmetry Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms , including plants, animals, fungi , and bacteria . External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example,
3721-461: Was dominated by acritarchs known as large ornamented Ediacaran microfossils . The second spanned from around 575 to 560 Ma and was characterised by the Avalon biota. The third spanned from 560 to 550 Ma; its biota has been dubbed the White Sea biota due to many fossils from this time being found along the coasts of the White Sea . The fourth lasted from 550 to 539 Ma and is known as the interval of
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