Animal-microbe partnerships date back to the dawn of complex life

TL;DR - Geochemical evidence suggests that worm-like Ediacaran organisms might have benefited from symbiotic relationships with bacteria. If confirmed, such animal–microbe partnerships arose near the dawn of complex life.

• The evidence comes from geochemical clues rather than direct observation.
• The organisms studied date to the Ediacaran period, before the Cambrian diversification of animal life.
• The findings imply that bacterial symbiosis might have supported some of Earth’s earliest complex organisms.
• The provided summary does not specify the chemical markers, organisms, or proposed biological benefits involved.