Początki królestwa zwierząt – preludium eksplozji kambryjskiej

of life on Earth when diverse animal phyla burst into existence almost from nowhere. However, despite this sudden appearance, the fossil record and evolutionary history of animals goes much deeper in time into the Neoproterozoic. This contribution reviews the earliest known faunas, their diversity and ecological complexity. Moreover, specimens of Ediacaran biota from the Polish museum collections are briefly presented.