Archaeocyathids were very widespread & successful reef builders in the early Cambrian, but suddenly went extinct in the mid Cambrian and no one knows why!
In this video, I talk about the incredible diversity and success of Archeacyathids and the mysteries that surround them. The two major mysteries regarding Archeaocyathids are their classification and their extinction. For a long time we had no idea how to classify them, whether they were sponges, corals, or something else entirely. Now, we typically classify them as sponges, but some scientists still believe they belong in their own separate phylum. The second mystery, their extinction, has also puzzled scientists for decades. Here, I go over a few different hypotheses for why Archeaocyathids went extinct, but ultimately, we still don't know for sure what brought their incredible success to an end. I encourage you to pursue this field of research if you are interested as it will help us solve these mysteries! ;D

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0:00 Ediacaran Faun & Cambrian Explosion
0:46 Mysterious Cambrian Animal
1:19 What were Archaeocyathids?
3:48 Why were they so successful?
6:05 Why did they go extinct?

References:
Prothero, D.R. (2013). Bringing Fossils to Life: An Introduction to Paleobiology- https://amzn.to/46V2BBT
Porifera | Digital Atlas of Ancient Life- https://www.digitalatlasofancientlife...
Erwin & Tweedt, 2012 (Ecological drivers of the Ediacaran-Cambrian diversification of Metazoa): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-011-95...
Vera, 2022 (Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record- 2nd Edition): https://doi.org/10.5710/1851-8044-59....
Pruss et al., 2010 (Carbonates in skeleton-poor seas): https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.p09...

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