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A fossil, believed to be the oldest vertebrate ever found, has been uncovered in South Australia. The five-centimetre fossil, which looks like an elongated tadpole and is believed to be at least 560 million years old, was unearthed in sandstone by station owner Ross Fargher at a secret location in SA's Flinders Ranges. The SA Museum today said the fossil was part of a marine animal known as the Ediacara Chordate. The Ediacara Chordate discovered in South Australia.Photo: South Australian Museum A fin on its back, a set of inclined muscle bars and a head were clearly visible, the museum...

Geoscientists in Scotland say they have evidence to disprove the controversial "Snowball Earth" theory - the idea that the planet was completely encased in ice just over 600 million years ago.We are claiming that in reality there was not a totally frozen snowball Earth and that even during the coldest conditions large regions remained ice-free -- Dr Dan CondonThe team, from the University of St Andrews, has published its findings in the scientific journal Geology, after studying rocks in the west of Scotland, Ireland, Namibia and California. Drs Dan Condon, Tony Prave and Doug Benn say they have found evidence...