Reanálise de fósseis no Brasil desafia teorias sobre a origem dos primeiros animais

Cientistas determinaram que estruturas antes vistas como vestígios de pequenos animais em rochas brasileiras de 540 milhões de anos são, na verdade, comunidades fossilizadas de bactérias e algas. O reexame utiliza imagens avançadas para revelar células preservadas e material orgânico.

Os pesquisadores concentraram-se em microfósseis da formação Tamengo, no Mato Grosso do Sul. Trabalhos anteriores haviam interpretado as marcas como evidências de criaturas semelhantes a vermes movendo-se pelo sedimento do fundo do mar durante o período Ediacarano, pouco antes da explosão cambriana de vida complexa. Uma nova análise com microtomografia e espectroscopia Raman no acelerador de partículas Sirius revelou estruturas celulares em vez de rastros de animais.

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