Prehistoric Models: Cnidaria
Cnidarians are marine invertebrates that include sea jellies, coral, sea anenomes, sea pens and fresh water hydras. The earliest members of this group can be found in the in the late Precambrian’s Ediacaran biota some 580 million years ago. To see my fossil coral click here, or to see my modern coral to compare click here.
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Cnidaria – Subphylum: Medusozoa
(Sea Jellies formerly Jellyfish)
Ediacaran to Holocene

Sea Jelly (formersly “jellyfish”)
Holocene, Recent

Sea Jelly (formersly “jellyfish”)
Holocene, Recent

Sea Jelly (formersly “jellyfish”)
Holocene, Recent

Sea Jelly (formersly “jellyfish”)
Holocene, Recent
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Cnidaria – Class: Hexacorallia – Order: Actiniaria
(Sea Anemone)
Late Cambrian to Holocene

Sea Anemone
Holocene, Recent

Sea Anemone
Holocene, Recent

Sea Anemone
Holocene, Recent
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Superphylum: Vendobionta – Phylum: Petalonamae
(frondomorphs)
Ediacaran to Cambrian

Genus: Charnia ”named after the Charnwood forest in England where the frist specimens were found)”
Pronounced: Char-ne-ah
Species: C, masoni (type), C. grandis, C. siberica
Named By: Trevor D. Ford - 1958
Classification: Domian: Eukaryota – Kingdom: Animalia – Superphylum: Vendobionta – Phylum: Petalonamae
Known locations: Australia. Canada. England. Russia.
Size: Holotype: 19 centimetres long, largest recorded individuals from Newfoundland approach up to 2 meters
Time period: Ediacaran, roughly 575-544 million years ago
Diet: Possibly absorbed nutrients from water