D
Species Profile

Dickinsonia

Dickinsonia

Quilted giant of Earth's deep past
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Dickinsonia Distribution

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This map shows coastal regions where Dickinsonia are found.

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Found in 3 countries

🇦🇺 Australia 🇷🇺 Russia 🇺🇦 Ukraine
dickinsonia

At a Glance

Genus Overview This page covers the Dickinsonia genus as a group. Stats below are general traits shared across the genus.
Diet Detritivore
Activity Cathemeral
Status Not Evaluated
Did You Know?

Lived in the Ediacaran Period (about 635-538.8 million years ago), long before dinosaurs and before most hard-shelled animals; Dickinsonia itself is known from the late Ediacaran.

Scientific Classification

Genus Overview "Dickinsonia" is not a single species but represents an entire genus containing multiple species.

Dickinsonia is a classic Ediacaran fossil genus (late Precambrian, ~571–541 Ma) known from flattened impressions of oval, bilaterally organized, quilted/segmented bodies. Many studies interpret it as an early animal or animal-grade metazoan, though its precise position within Metazoa is uncertain.

Kingdom
Animalia
Family
Dickinsoniidae
Genus
Dickinsonia

Distinguishing Features

  • Oval to elongate, dorsoventrally flattened body imprint
  • Repeated transverse ‘rib’/quilt-like modules arranged along a midline
  • Typically preserved as negative/positive impressions on sandstone or siltstone bedding planes
  • No clear head, limbs, or hard parts; soft-bodied organism

Physical Measurements

Males and females differ in size

Length
♂ 8 in (0 in – 4 ft 7 in)
♀ 8 in (0 in – 4 ft 7 in)
Top Speed
0 mph
mm/s scale or slower

Appearance

Primary Colors
Cream Tan Gray
Secondary Colors
Brown Red Black
Skin Type Dickinsonia had a soft, non-hard skin shown by flattened impressions. Its flexible outer surface likely lay on microbial mats. No hard parts, jaws, limbs, or skeleton; very thin (mm–cm).
Distinctive Features
  • Ediacaran age (late Precambrian, ~571-541 Ma); known only from fossils as flattened impressions/casts in marine sediments-no living representatives.
  • Dickinsonia ranged from a few millimeters long to over 1 meter (some reports about 1.4 m). Widths grew with length, giving an oval to long shape.
  • Quilted, modular construction: many repeated transverse units; module count generally increases with growth and differs across species, producing notable in-genus variation in overall proportions and rib density.
  • Glide-symmetric organization without modern-animal-style appendages: no evidence for limbs, eyes, jaws, or a mineralized skeleton; anterior-posterior orientation and internal anatomy remain debated.
  • Typically interpreted as benthic on marine microbial mats; many specimens occur on matground bedding surfaces, consistent with close substrate association across the genus.
  • Dickinsonia likely fed by soaking up or grazing on microbial mats. Some bedding-plane associations and possible movement traces suggest slow, limited gliding, varying by species and how fossils were preserved.
  • Lifespan cannot be directly determined from fossils; growth appears incremental via addition/enlargement of modules, implying multiple growth stages, but absolute lifespan range across species is unknown.
  • Phylogenetic placement uncertain: often treated as an animal-grade metazoan (or close to animals), but not securely assignable to a specific modern phylum; reconstructions should avoid assuming modern organ systems.

Did You Know?

Lived in the Ediacaran Period (about 635-538.8 million years ago), long before dinosaurs and before most hard-shelled animals; Dickinsonia itself is known from the late Ediacaran.

Known mostly as flattened casts/impressions on sandstone and siltstone bedding planes-its soft body rarely left anything but an outline and "quilt."

Across the genus, fossils range from only a few millimeters to about 1.4 m long (largest described forms).

Some specimens are associated with repeated "resting" impressions and track-like sequences, suggesting slow repositioning across the seafloor.

A 2018 biomarker study reported cholesterol-derived molecules from Dickinsonia fossils, supporting an animal-grade affinity (though exact placement remains debated).

The genus has been central to arguments about what counts as an "animal" and how early complex life fed, moved, and grew.

Named by Australian geologist Reg Sprigg (1947), likely honoring Ben Dickinson, a South Australian mining official.

Unique Adaptations

  • Quilted, modular body plan: Repeated, rib-like units form a bilaterally organized "quilt," a distinctive construction among Ediacaran organisms that may have aided support, growth, or surface-area expansion.
  • Extremely low profile: A flattened body would have helped it adhere to the seafloor and interact with microbial mats in calm, shallow seas.
  • Large surface area relative to volume: Useful for nutrient uptake and gas exchange in a world without complex internal organs known from the fossils.
  • Soft-bodied construction suited to matgrounds: Living atop cohesive microbial mats may have provided stability and a food-rich interface, and also increased preservation potential when rapidly buried.
  • Flexible scaling across the genus: The same basic plan occurs from millimeter-scale individuals to meter-scale forms, implying the design could function across a wide size range.

Interesting Behaviors

  • Benthic seafloor living: Most interpretations place Dickinsonia on or just above microbial mats in shallow-marine settings; individuals likely stayed close to the sediment surface.
  • Probable slow movement: Some slabs show serial impressions interpreted as successive positions, consistent with gradual gliding or creeping-how it moved (or even if it actively moved) may have varied among species and sizes.
  • Feeding linked to mats: Common hypotheses include grazing/absorbing nutrients from microbial mats (mat-feeding) or absorbing dissolved/particulate organics across the body surface (osmotrophy); different species may have relied on these strategies to different degrees.
  • Growth by adding/expanding "modules": The repeated, quilt-like units suggest a modular growth pattern; smaller members and juveniles likely grew by adding or enlarging segments, but details vary and remain under study.
  • Low-disturbance lifestyle: With no jaws, limbs, or obvious burrowing organs, the genus is generally viewed as a surface-dweller rather than a sediment-mixer, though locomotion evidence implies it could reposition itself.

Cultural Significance

Dickinsonia is a key fossil of the Ediacara biota and central to talks about how animals began. Found in South Australia and elsewhere, it helped define the Ediacaran period and appears in museum displays about early soft-bodied life.

Myths & Legends

In popular science and museum stories, Dickinsonia from the Ediacara "dawn animals" acts like a hero in a creation tale, standing for life just before the big Cambrian explosion.

Naming origin as an enduring anecdote: Reg Sprigg's 1947 naming of Dickinsonia-commonly linked to Ben Dickinson of South Australia's mining administration-has become part of the genus's historical lore within Australian geology.

Dickinsonia fossils helped define and make the Ediacaran Period accepted in Earth history, becoming a key symbol for that geological milestone in science and culture rather than a folk legend.

Dickinsonia is a famous science story: for years people debated whether it was an animal, fungus, protist, or an early experiment in multicellularity; it warns how hard it is to read soft-bodied fossils from impressions.

Conservation Status

NE Not Evaluated (Ediacaran fossil genus; no extant populations-standard IUCN Red List assessments do not apply to deep-time, pre-Quaternary taxa)

Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

Population Unknown

Looking for a specific species?

Dickinsonia costata

Dickinsonia costata

Most frequently cited and historically central named species for Dickinsonia in the literature; its fossils are commonly used to illustrate the genus' classic oval, quilted morphology and Ediacaran preservation.

  • Genus-wide size range: small individuals only a few millimeters-centimeters long up to very large specimens approaching ~1 m+ in length (size varies strongly among species and growth stages).
  • Genus-wide morphology: flattened, oval-to-elongate body impressions with repeated 'quilted' units and a bilateral organization; fine details and unit counts vary among species and with preservation.
  • Genus-wide ecology: benthic life on soft seafloor microbial mats; many interpretations favor mat-feeding (e.g., external digestion/osmotrophy) or close association with mat-bound organics, but feeding mode likely varied and remains debated.
  • Lifespan is not directly known for any species; growth was likely incremental over months to years (inferred from size series), but there is no reliable genus-wide lifespan estimate from fossils alone.
  • Genus-wide behavior: some specimens suggest limited movement or re-positioning across mats (trace-like associations reported), but mobility and behavior likely differed among species and local environments.

You might be looking for:

Dickinsonia costata

33%

Dickinsonia costata

Type/commonly referenced species of Dickinsonia from the Ediacaran of Australia; oval, segmented body imprint.

Dickinsonia tenuis

18%

Dickinsonia tenuis

Species name applied to more elongate/slender Dickinsonia forms in some assemblages.

Dickinsonia rex

15%

Dickinsonia rex

Large-bodied species described from the Ediacaran of South Australia; among the largest Dickinsonia specimens.

Non-animal interpretation (alternative hypotheses)

12%

Dickinsonia

Historically proposed interpretations include lichen/fungus or other non-metazoan affinities; now generally less favored than an animal-grade metazoan interpretation.

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Behavior & Ecology

Social Aggregation Group: 3
Activity Cathemeral
Diet Detritivore microbial mats (benthic biofilm)

Temperament

Non-aggressive (no evidence of weaponry or antagonistic interactions)
Non-territorial (no clear signs of defended space)
Low-interaction/indifferent to conspecifics (apparent proximity likely ecological rather than social)
Slow-moving or intermittently motile; activity likely governed by substrate and food availability rather than social cues (inferred; varies by interpretation)

Communication

none known No anatomical basis or fossil evidence for sound production
chemical sensing/cues in the substrate or water boundary layer Inferred; could aid in locating/maintaining position on microbial mats
mechanosensory/tactile feedback with the substrate Inferred
indirect interaction via trail/feeding traces that may incidentally influence where other individuals move or settle Inferred; would vary by species and environment

Habitat

Seabed/Benthic
Biomes:
Marine
Terrain:
Coastal Sandy Muddy Rocky
Elevation: -7874 in

Ecological Role

Benthic detritivore/microbial-mat grazer in late Ediacaran seafloor communities

recycling and remineralization of organic matter at the sediment surface redistribution/patchy depletion of microbial mat biomass (mat-cropping) enhancing small-scale habitat heterogeneity on microbial-mat seafloors linking microbial primary production/detrital pools to higher trophic pathways (if present)

Diet Details

Other Foods:
Microbial mats Seafloor detritus Decaying organic matter Biofilm

Human Interaction

Domestication Status

Wild

Dickinsonia is an extinct Ediacaran Period genus with no domestication; humans only know it from fossils found, dug up, studied, and put in museums. Fossils range from millimeters to over a meter long. Lifespan is unknown. It was a soft-bodied animal that lived on the seafloor with microbial mats, possibly able to move and graze or absorb food.

As a Pet

Not Suitable as Pet

Legality: Not applicable as a pet (extinct fossil organism). Fossil collecting, sale, export, and ownership are jurisdiction-dependent and may be restricted or illegal in protected sites; museum-quality specimens are often subject to permitting and cultural/natural heritage laws.

Care Level: Expert Only

Purchase Cost:
Lifetime Cost:

Economic Value

Uses:
Scientific research (paleontology, early animal evolution, taphonomy) Education (textbooks, curricula, outreach) Museum exhibition and public engagement Geotourism and heritage value at fossil localities Commercial fossil/replica market (varies; often regulated)
Products:
  • Peer-reviewed publications and datasets
  • Museum displays and traveling exhibits
  • Educational materials (images, diagrams, lesson content)
  • Replica casts, models, and 3D prints (where permitted)
  • Field courses and guided tours associated with Ediacaran sites

Relationships

Predators 1

No confirmed predators

Related Species 6

Dickinsonia costata Dickinsonia costata Shared Genus
Dickinsonia tenuis Dickinsonia tenuis Shared Genus
Dickinsonia rex Dickinsonia rex Shared Genus
Andiva Andiva Shared Family
Yorgia Yorgia Shared Family
Archaeaspinus Archaeaspinus Shared Family

Ecological Equivalents 4

Animals that fill a similar ecological role in their ecosystem

Kimberella Kimberella quadrata Ediacaran benthic organism often interpreted as a mobile mat-grazer. Occupied similar settings—seafloor microbial mats—and potentially produced surface-feeding traces, though its body plan and feeding mode likely differed.
Spriggina Spriggina spp. Ediacaran seafloor-dwelling organism with bilateral organization and inferred mobility; overlaps in habitat and preservation style (flattened impressions), but likely has different phylogenetic affinities and ecology.
Charniodiscus Charniodiscus Common Ediacaran benthic taxon occupying the same broad communities. Included as an ecological analogue for shared depositional environments, even though it was likely sessile (fronded) and not a mat-feeder.
Tribrachidium Tribrachidium heraldicum Ediacaran benthic taxon from similar assemblages and substrates. It likely had a different feeding strategy, often modeled as suspension/flow-related, but shares the same general shallow-marine seafloor niche space.

Types of Dickinsonia

6

Explore 6 recognized types of dickinsonia

Dickinsonia costata Dickinsonia costata
Dickinsonia tenuis Dickinsonia tenuis
Dickinsonia lissa Dickinsonia lissa
Dickinsonia rex Dickinsonia rex
Dickinsonia elongata Dickinsonia elongata
Dickinsonia menneri Dickinsonia menneri

Introduction

The Dickinsonia is an extinct genus of basal animal, and they lived during the Ediacaran period that lasted for 96 million years. You will find the Dickinsonia in the places we now know as China, India, Russia, Australia, and Ukraine and resembles a bilaterally symmetrical oval. The remains of this creature are in sandstone beds.

Description & Size

Dickinsonia fossils

The first discovery of the Dickinsonia fossils was in 1947 in South Australia by Ilya Bobrovskiy a PhD student from the Australian National University.

©Alizada Studios/Shutterstock.com

The Dickinsonia did not have legs or a formed body structure; they instead had an egg-shaped body with rib-like segments. The rib segments started off narrow at the bottom and increased in width near the end of the fossil. The segments of the Dickinsonia are “pneus,” chambers full of liquid at higher ambient temperatures.

The average Dickinsonia grew up to be 4 ft 7 inches in size, but they could also reach only a few millimeters in size and width. The size records depend on the size of the fossils found.

Australian National University confirms the Dickinsonia to be neither a microbe nor plant. It is a photosynthesizing multicellular organism with a complex system. Existing 17 million years before modern animals and thought to be one of Earth’s earliest animals.

  • Size: A few millimeters to 4 ft 7 inches
  • Time Period: Ediacaran period
  • Extinction: 539 million years ago
  • Type of Animal: Photosynthesizing multicellular organism
  • Location: Ukraine, Russia, Australia, China, and India.
  • Fossilization: Bases of sandstone beds

Diet – What Did Dickinsonia Eat?

The Dickinsonia absorbs food from the bottom of their bodies because they are a stem-group protozoan. The Dickinsonian fossils found in the base of sandstone beds do not give paleontologists much information as to what these creatures ate. The possible food sources included algae and microbes found near water bodies.

Habitat – When and Where It lived

The Dickinsonia fossils are found embedded in the base of sandstones, throughout Australia, China, Ukraine, Russia, and India. Living during the late Ediacaran period over half a million years ago, they are thought to be the oldest records of animals.

The fossils are found were very compressed and distorted sometimes into the underlying rock. The preservation of the fossils shows that the Dickinsonia tried to escape from the sediment.

According to Retallack’s hypothesis in 2007, the Dickinsonia is believed to move slowly from one resting place to the other by firmly anchoring their bodies into the sediment. Their anchoring movements could have been from their lichen-like rooting through rhizines, or perhaps a fungus-like attachment to a network of underground hyphae.

Threats And Predators

The Dickinsonia has no known threats or predators, they most likely faced extinction at the end of the Ediacaran period.

Discoveries and Fossils

The first discovery of the Dickinsonia fossils was in 1947 in South Australia by Ilya Bobrovskiy a PhD student from the Australian National University. They are found in China, India, Russia, and Ukraine and were around 570 million years old. Each fossil was pancake-shaped and well-preserved fossils in the northwestern Russian cliff still contained organic matter.

Dickinsonia fossils have been found in the following locations:

  • South Australia
  • Dniester River Basin of Podolia, Ukraine
  • Bhimbetka rock shelters in India
  • Chernokamen Formation of the Central Urals, Russia
  • Dengying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges in South China
  • White Sea area of the Arkhangelsk
  • Madhya Pradesh in India

Extinction – When Did It Die Out?

The Dickinsonia lived during the late Ediacaran period and likely went extinct after this period when the earth’s oceans went completely anoxic proposed by researchers. The Ediacaran period was a geological period lasting 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian period to the beginning of the Cambrian period.

The samples recovered from the last 10 million years of the Ediacaran period found extreme anoxia which lined up with the disappearance of the Ediacaran biota. Extreme anoxia is when the ocean had total oxygen depletion, resulting in mass extinctions.

Similar Animals to The Dickinsonia

The Dickinsonia has been described as a type of polychaete worm, turbellarian, sea anemone, lichen, or even coral and jellyfish. There are some similar genera to the Dickinsonia that could be related.

Similar fossils to the Dickinsonia include:

  • Yorgia– A discoid Ediacaran organism that had no appendages and a maximum length of 9.8 inches.
  • Marywadea- Ediacaran biota with an oval body shape that resembles a primitive trilobite.
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Sources

  1. Info galactic / Accessed September 27, 2022
  2. Wikipedia / Accessed September 27, 2022
  3. Earths Archives / Accessed September 27, 2022
Sarah Psaradelis

About the Author

Sarah Psaradelis

Sarah is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering aquatic pets, rodents, arachnids, and reptiles. Sarah has over 3 years of experience in writing and researching various animal topics. She is currently working towards furthering her studies in the animal field. A resident of South Africa, Sarah enjoys writing alongside her pets and almost always has her rats perched on her shoulders.
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Dickinsonia FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

The Dickinsonia lived during the Ediacaran period around 558 million years ago in the Phanerozoic Era.

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