Ikaria wariootia: The Ancestor of All Animals

Geologists in Australia have discovered the first ancestor on the family tree that contains most animals seen today, including humans.

• The small, wormlike creature, named Ikaria wariootia, is the earliest bilaterian (organism with a front and back, two symmetrical sides, and openings at either end connected by a gut).
• It was found in Ediacaran Period deposits in Nilpena, South Australia.
• The researchers used a three-dimensional laser scanner that revealed the regular, consistent shape of a cylindrical body with a distinct head and tail and faintly grooved musculature. The animal ranged between 2-7 millimeters long and about 1-2.5 millimeters wide.
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