Charnia is the genus name given to a frond-like Precambrian lifeform with segmented ridges branching alternately to the right and left from a zig-zag medial suture. It strongly resembles a chestnut leaf. There are two species, Charnia masoni, discovered by Roger Mason, a schoolboy, in 1957 in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, and Charnia wardi, discovered in 1978 in southeast Newfoundland. The genus was named after Charnwood Forest (the area in which the first species was found). It was originally interpreted as an alga (Ford) and a sea pen (Glaessner). One modern interpretation (Seilacher's) is that Charnia is a Vendazoan built with unipolar iterations of one cell family. The Ediacaran Period (from the Ediacara Hills of South Australia) is the last geological period of the Neoproterozoic Era, just before the Cambrian. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 284 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (969 × 2043 pixel, file size: 4. ... A holotype is one of several possible types. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... The Precambrian (Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... Species Castanea alnifolia - Bush Chinkapin* Castanea crenata - Japanese Chestnut Castanea dentata - American Chestnut Castanea henryi - Henrys Chestnut Castanea mollissima - Chinese Chestnut Castanea ozarkensis - Ozark Chinkapin Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chinkapin Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut Castanea seguinii - Seguins Chestnut * treated as a synonym of by many authors Chestnut (Castanea), including... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rocks, Old John and the War Memorial Bradgate House, with Old John and the Leicestershire War Memorial on the skyline Bradgate House, chapel and ruined tower Old John Red deer River Lin taken from hillside Bradgate Park is a public park in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. ... Leicestershire ( IPA: (RP), IPA: (locally)), abbreviation Leics. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... For other uses, see Newfoundland (disambiguation). ... Charnwood Forest is an upland tract in north-western Leicestershire, England. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Families Suborder Sessiliflorae Anthoptilidae Chunellidae Echinoptilidae Funiculinidae Kophobelemnidae Protoptilidae Renillidae Scleroptilidae Stachyptilidae Umbellulidae Veretillidae Suborder Subselliflorae Pennatulidae Pteroeididae Virgulariidae Sea Pens are colonial marine cnidarians belonging to the order Pennatulacea. ... Dickinsonia costata, an Ediacaran organism of unknown affinity, with a quilted appearance. ...

Charnia is one of the most widespread Ediacaran fossils. It has been reported from a number of localities worldwide including England's Charnwood Forest, Iran, Olenek, South Australia, and the White Sea Coast of Russia. However, the greatest abundance of specimens and oldest reliably dated Ediacaran fossils known anywhere are found along the southeast coast of Newfoundland.^[1] The Ediacaran Period (from the Ediacara Hills of South Australia) is the last geological period of the Neoproterozoic Era, just before the Cambrian. ... Dickinsonia costata, an Ediacaran organism of unknown affinity, with a quilted appearance. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... For other uses, see Newfoundland (disambiguation). ...

Charnia is the oldest complex fossil found anywhere in the world. Charnia wardi has been found in the Drook formation in Newfoundland at 575 mya. C. masoni followed soon afterwards. The only complex fossil found in earlier rocks is Nimbia. This suggests that Charnia could be an ancestor to the Eumetazoa. Charnia has a fossil range of 575–545 Myr.^[2] Nimbia occlusa is a form of Ediacaran fossil shaped like a circular or oval disk. ... subgroups Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria Eumetazoa is a clade comprising all major animal groups except sponges. ...

Charnia wardi is also the longest Ediacaran fossil^[1] measuring up to 2 metres long. It was anchored to the sediment in the sea bed in deep water where it would not be disturbed by waves.

Reference

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

For pictures of Charnia, see:

• http://geol.queensu.ca/museum/exhibits/ediac/drook/carolyn.html - Charnia masoni
• http://geol.queensu.ca/museum/exhibits/ediac/drook/calvert.html - Charnia wardi
• http://www.toyen.uio.no/palmus/galleri/montre/english/x494.htm

An article on the discovery of Charnia masoni:

• http://www.charnia.org.uk/newsletter/brit_assoc_2002.htm