Retallack says a number of the ediacaran fossils , including dickinsonia ( pictured ) show structures similar to today 's lichens , and he also says there is evidence the land they were growing on was sometimes frozen .
Together , the evidence hints that fossils long thought to represent seafloor organisms are actually the remnants of terrestrial organisms similar to today 's lichens or other microbial colonies , retallack reports online today innature .
Gradually the coastlines draw closer and slowly begin to lose first the greens and ochres of mosses and lichens , then the black of volcanic basalt , and one morning you wake up and everything has turned brilliant white .