Fossil Mold, Aus, Namibia, 1998Photograph by O. Louis MazzatentaA paleontologist in Aus, Namibia, makes a mold of a Pteridinium by brushing multiple layers of latex on the fossil. Though their remains are common in many parts of the world, much about these and other similar Precambrian life forms has puzzled scientists, including whether they were plants, animals, or something in between.