Field in the frame: fossilised Ediacaran faunal diversity

Fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field across time may have had wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems. Dr Tarduno and colleagues used paleomagnetic data from silicate crystals to examine the Ediacaran period. Crystal data indicated that Earth’s magnetic field had decreased in intensity, becoming 10 to 30 times weaker than the present day. This profound and unprecedented reduction in magnetic field intensity aligned with a diversification in macroscopic animals, suggesting that changes in Earth’s magnetic shielding contributed to Earth’s oxygenation and therefore supported faunal diversification.