Grypania

Grypania is an early, tube-shaped fossil from the Proterozoic eon. It was quite large for its time, measuring over one centimeter, and had a consistent form. Scientists believe it could have been a giant bacterium, a group of bacteria working together, or a simple plant-like organism called a eukaryotic alga.

The oldest known fossils of Grypania date back to about 1,870 million years ago, which is much younger than previously thought. These fossils continued to exist until the Ediacaran period. This means that Grypania lived for an amazing 1,200 million years, making it one of the earliest known life forms on Earth. Its long existence helps scientists understand how life developed very early in our planet's history.