Fossilised cholesterol confirms Dickinsonia as Earth's oldest known animal

The true identity of one of evolution's greatest mysteries has finally been revealed by ancient fat molecules extracted from 558 million-year-old fossils discovered in Russia.  The creatures preserved in the fossils, known as Dickinsonia, are among the earliest known animals in the geological record, settling a 75-year-old debate about the nature of these organisms.

Oldest-known hashtag made by Stone Age humans in Africa

A tiny stone flake covered in a red ochre cross-hatch design has been unearthed in South Africa in a famous cave where paints, paint tool boxes, spears and beads have previously been found.  The discovery indicates early modern humans were capable of symbolic behaviour between 70,000 and 100,000 years ago.

See also Neanderthal 'hashtag' carving found in cave.