“Cascade of events” caused explosion of animal life on Earth

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. "Cascade of events” caused explosion of animal life on Earth The explosion of animal life on Earth around 520 million years ago was the result of a combination of interlinked factors rather than a single underlying cause, according to a new study. Dozens of individual theories have been put forward over the past few decades for this rapid diversification of animal species in the early Cambrian Period of geological time. But new research by Durham and Oxford universities, suggests a more holistic approach is required to discover the reasons behind what has become known as the Cambrian Explosion. Theories for the Cambrian Explosion fall into three main categories - geological, geochemical and biological - and most have been claimed as standalone processes that were the main cause of the explosion.