Origin and Early Evolution of Predators

Abstract

Our current knowledge on the origin and early evolution of largepredators is summarized by Simon Conway Morris (1999, 153–154) asfollows: ...for many years it was claimed that Cambrian marine communitieswere almost entirely free of predators…the seas were [thought tobe] full of suspension-feeders gently swaying in the sea water anddeposit feeders calmly digging their way through the sediment. Thisview is now seen to be far too idyllic, but the story of the riseof predators is still quite tentative. It does appear, however, thatin contrast to Cambrian communities those of the Ediacaran were largelyfree of predators.