Grypania

Grypania

Grypania is an early, tube-shaped fossil from the Proterozoic eon. It was large for its time, measuring over one centimeter, and had a consistent form. Scientists think it could have been a giant bacterium, a group of bacteria working together, or a simple plant-like organism called a eukaryotic alga.

The oldest known fossils of Grypania are about 1,870 million years old, which is younger than previously thought. These fossils existed until the Ediacaran period. This means Grypania lived for an amazing 1,200 million years, making it one of the earliest known life forms on Earth. Its long existence helps scientists learn about how life developed very early in our planet's history.