Dickinsonia is confirmed an animal

Dickinsonia, a ribbed oval up to 1.4 metres long, was variously classified as a fungus, a lichen, a giant protist or an animal. In 2018 researchers recovered cholesteroids — a molecular hallmark of animals — from exceptionally preserved specimens, establishing it as one of the oldest confirmed macroscopic animals. It grew by adding segments at one end and appears to have fed by absorbing microbial mat through its underside.