The Edicarian  Period was peaceful, with rare exception, as primitive, non-sentient organisms grazed on even more primitive organisms. The  Cambrian Period, 538.8 Mya – 486.85 Mya,  with an explosion of complexity, defined the hunter and the hunted. Jaws,  teeth, eyes, and brains inaugurated the arms race that continues to the present day.

All so we can metaphorically eat each other.

The Cambrian Past; Oil on Panel (click to enlarge))

See New Art Series; Traces of the Past; Painting the Ediacaran Period; Att: Larry Gagosian