The Weirdest Theory Yet for Why Life on Earth Suddenly Exploded - Gizmodo
gizmodo.com
A new theory proposes a surprising trigger for the Cambrian explosion — and researchers say it works alongside existing explanations, not against them.
Cambrian Explosion TheoryPunctuated EquilibriumSystems TheoryEvolutionary Developmental Biology
Theory Briefing
- Researchers behind the new theory stress it complements existing explanations rather than replacing them, suggesting the Cambrian explosion had multiple causes.
- The Cambrian explosion — when complex animal life suddenly diversified — remains one of Earth's biggest unsolved puzzles, with competing theories still unresolved.
- Earth systems are rarely driven by a single cause, and this latest proposal adds another candidate to an already crowded field of explanations.