890 million years? A geologist may have discovered the oldest animal fossils ever found in Canada.

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A geologist in Canada may have discovered ancient sponge fossils dating back 890 million years, making the potential discovery about 350 million years older than the undisputed oldest sponge fossils

The fossilized structures found in the rock samples likely show the sponges that existed in underwater coral reefs millions of years ago. The findings may represent the oldest animal fossils ever discovered, Laurentian University professor Elizabeth Turner described in an article published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Scientists previously estimated that sponges existed before more complex creatures more than 540 million years ago. However, there is a lack of fossilized sponges discovered by scientists that would prove the timeline of the early creatures.

The fossils discovered by Turner resemble the skeletons found in some modern sponges known as demosponges. Skeletons consist of parts that resemble connected tree branches.

The geologist told USA TODAY that her discovery is intriguing to scientists and non-scientists alike, who may all be learning about the history of the appearance of animals — and humans — today.

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“We are animals,” Turner said. “And we have a great mind, and we are able to question things, and wonder how we have become.

“What happened before, and what did it look like? How did it start?” She added. “That’s really research into it. I’m rocking the apple cart.”

If the age of the fossils discovered by Turner proved correct, organisms would have lived on Earth before the time when scientists thought there was enough oxygen to support animal life.

Organisms, too, would have lived before the ice ages spread on Earth.

The fossils were found in a remote area of ​​northwest Canada that can only be reached by helicopter.

The story continues

Turner told USA TODAY that some critics may be skeptical of her findings because of the Earth’s oxygen levels and the conditions the sponges can face.

“Behold, I say, ‘Oh, the first animals appeared before that. “So they didn’t need that oxygen. So people might not feel comfortable with it,” Turner said.

“This is not the Holy Grail,” she noted. “It’s just a step toward a better view of animal evolution.”

But those sponge-like creatures lived in reefs made of bacteria that could have created enough oxygen for the sponge to survive, according to multiple reports.

“We know that there was a time, episode, or period of cryptic evolution in animals 540 million years ago,” Turner said. “The question is – how far back did you go, and how was it? This is the big hole.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oldest animal fossils ever may have been an ancient sponge discovered in Canada

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