▁and ▁India , ▁the ▁first ▁complex ▁mult ic ell ular ▁life ▁forms ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁appeared ▁at ▁roughly ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁Ma , ▁in ▁the ▁Mes opro ter oz o ic ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁Pro ter oz o ic ▁e on . ▁F oss il ▁evidence ▁from ▁the ▁later ▁Ed ia car an ▁period ▁of ▁such ▁complex ▁life ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁L ant ian ▁formation , ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 8 0 ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁A ▁very ▁diverse ▁collection ▁of ▁soft - b od ied ▁forms ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁locations ▁world wide ▁and ▁date ▁to ▁between ▁ 6 3 5 ▁and ▁ 5 4 2 ▁Ma . ▁These ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Ed ia car an ▁or ▁V end ian ▁bi ota . ▁Hard - sh elled ▁cre atures ▁appeared ▁toward ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁that ▁time ▁span , ▁mark ing ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Ph an ero zo ic ▁e on . ▁By ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁Camb rian ▁period , ▁a ▁very ▁diverse ▁fa una ▁is ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁Burg ess ▁Sh ale , ▁including ▁some ▁which ▁may ▁represent ▁stem ▁groups ▁of ▁modern ▁tax a . ▁The ▁increase ▁in ▁divers ity ▁of ▁life forms ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁Camb rian ▁is ▁called ▁the ▁Camb rian ▁explos ion ▁of ▁life . ▁ ▁While ▁land ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁de void ▁of ▁plants ▁and ▁animals , ▁cy an ob acter ia ▁and ▁other ▁micro bes ▁formed ▁pro k ary otic ▁m ats ▁that ▁covered ▁terrest rial ▁areas .