One of the oldest known 3D animal fossils found in Norwegian sheep field

One of the oldest known 3D animal fossils found in Norwegian sheep field Sarah Collins Wed, 09/09/2026 - 01:00 The fossil dates from around 560 million years ago, during the Ediacaran Period, when complex forms of life first appeared on Earth. The fossil, known as Charnia , looks more like a fern than anything we would recognise as an animal today. Charnia did not have a mouth, organs, or any visible means of movement, and was essentially a ‘goo-filled bag’ – like a sedentary jellyfish – however, it is thought to be one of the earliest animals to exist.