Anomalocaris

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The fearsome Anomalocaris stalked Cambrian waters, its razor-sharp fangs at the ready to snatch unsuspecting prey. This ancient predator was one of many Pre-cambrian creatures that I brought to life for a book titled "The Cambrian Explosion: The Construction of Animal Biodiversity," written by Doug Erwin and James Valentine. The Cambrian Period marked a pivotal moment in the history of life on Earth, as it witnessed an astonishing transformation. While animals may have first emerged approximately 700 million years ago with the emergence of early sponges, their initial diversification was relatively slow until a vastly diverse fossil fauna suddenly appeared about 170 million years later.