Jonathan Wells explained why these and other obscure and enigmatic Precambrian fossils (or imprints) failed to qualify as convincing precursors to any of the Cambrian animals, citing the work of leading authorities in paleontology. In each case, he noted that similarities between the Ediacaran forms and later Cambrian animals had proven superficial, because the Ediacaran forms lacked many key diagnostic features of specific Cambrian phyla.
