A bristly armored “worm”, which scuttled through ocean reefs 518million years ago, is the ancestor of three aquatic animal group that live very different lives today. This study provides new clues about how the explosion of diverse species, and offers new insight, a new study has found.
International researchers discovered the fossil of a species which gave rise to brachiopods and bryozoans. Each group of filter-feeding marine creatures fixes itself to the seafloor but each one has very specialized feeding structures, so they all look quite different.
The names of fossil species Wufengella bengtsoniScientists reported that he is a member a older, shelled group called tommotiids in a new study.
This new piece of information adds to the puzzle about how animals evolved during Cambrian explosion. It was a time when the Cambrian period(541,000,000 to 485.4 Million Years Ago) Early life is the best! Rapidly diversify EarthIntroduced and established a variety different body plans. These are still seen in live animals today.
Brachiopods can be shelled bivalved animals; bryozoans have crowns of tentacles and soft-bodied bryozoans. Phoronids are protected in protective tubes made from chitin. This material strengthens organic structures like shells, exoskeletons and beaks.
Before the discovery of W. bengtsoniBased on the similarities in embryonic development of the different animal groups in living animals, taxonomists suggested that the ancestor could have been a segmented, worm-like, tommotiid.
Researchers had an idea of the appearance of this hypothetical ancestor, but they were not sure if they would ever find it.
“One of the things we often mentioned while we were sitting down in the pub and dreaming about what we might possibly find one day was this mysterious tommotiid,” Jakob Vinther (associate professor of macroevolution, University of Bristol, England) told Live Science.
Related: Scientists baffled at the silver-colored poop of an ancient Cambrian creature
The fossil was discovered at the Chengjiang Biota site in Yunnan (a province in southwest China). This fossil is rare because these animals are not well preserved enough to be studied in detail by paleontologists.
“They were scuttling about on ReefsVinther stated that the shallow tropical waters were still present back then.
These ancient reef systems were home to dead animals that were often washed about until their bodies fell apart. The reef’s oxygen-rich waters also caused their soft tissues to decay before fossilization could occur.
Vinther explained, “This particular animal got washed downstream into deep waters where it was buried in mud. This is how it was preserved.”
Researchers predicted W. bengtsoniSome features of the fossil, as well as its general body plan, were surprising. Vinther suggested that the flaps could have been used to suction it, or to attach it to the reef in case of waves.
Also, the species had long bristles that could have been used to protect predators or sense prey.
Although the study authors don’t know what the animal ate or how it was fed, they do know that its body was not adapted to filter water or stay still.
Researchers believe it to be the ancestor bryozoans and brachiopods. It shared a similar skull with these groups. Animals evolved into different ecological niches during the Cambrian explosion. They also adopted different body plans.
Vinther explained that ancestors can sometimes look very different to their closest living relatives.
Martin Smith, an associate Professor of Paleontology at Durham University, England, was not involved in this study. He described the new research as an “impeccably executed” example of science. Smith stated, “It’s an amazing study.”
“We are seeing how these groups work together and how they evolved from one common ancestor. It’s taking them up a rung on the ladder. evolutionarySmith added, “tree”.
“It’s our next frontier. We’re going deeper in deep time, and we’re really beginning to see the origin of Cambrian explosion. When all the complicated body plans appear, it’s a great opportunity.”
The study was published online in the journal Sept. 27, 2007. Current Biology.
Similar content:
This article was originally published in Live Science. Please read the Original article available here.
