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The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Light Sheet-based Fluorescence Microscopy of Living or Fixed and Stained Tribolium castaneum Embryos
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Animal evolution: trilobites on speed.

Graham E Budd1

  • 1Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, Uppsala, Sweden SE 75236.

Current Biology : CB
|October 12, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Arthropod evolution accelerated during the Cambrian explosion. Both physical (morphological) and genetic (molecular) changes increased, but within sustainable rates.

Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • The Cambrian explosion represents a pivotal period of rapid diversification in animal life.
  • Understanding the tempo of evolution during this time is crucial for deciphering early animal development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the rates of morphological and molecular evolution in arthropods during the Cambrian explosion.
  • To assess whether evolutionary rates exceeded previously established limits.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of fossil and molecular data.
  • Computational modeling of evolutionary rates.

Main Results:

  • Morphological evolution in arthropods significantly accelerated during the Cambrian period.

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  • Molecular evolution also showed a marked increase, correlating with morphological changes.
  • Rates remained within biologically plausible limits, not indicative of 'runaway' evolution.

    • Conclusions:

    • Arthropod evolution was dynamic but regulated during the Cambrian explosion.
    • The study provides quantitative insights into the pace of early animal evolution.