Among the fossils of the Cambrian period, the remains of an extinct animal similar to a creature from a fantasy novel were found
Fantastic creature turned out to be the ancestor of crustaceans / Photo: The New York Times
Opabinia, a creature with five compound eyes and a proboscis-shaped nozzle ending in a claw, swam in the earth’s oceans about 500 million years ago.
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Evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould, describing opabinia, called it a “strange marvel” and said that it belongs to the pantheon of evolutionary iconswrites The New York Times.
These, for example, include Archeopteryx, Tyrannosaurus rex and archaic human ancestors. Opabinia remained shrouded in the mystery of evolution.
Fossil at the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History in 2017 originally classified as a radiodont.
The creature, only 5 mm long, had zigzag wings of the body and a tail full of spikes, which a stegosaurus might envy.
The features resembled an opabinia, but the poorly preserved head was nothing more than a crimson stain, hiding a proboscis and a large number of eyes.
Scientists studied the fossil for several years, eventually recognizing the creature as the second opabinia ever discovered.
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The new species was named Utaurora comosa after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora. Researchers believe she was precursor to the evolution of insects and crustaceans.
Waves gliding through the ancient sea with its wings and pointed fan on its tail, the creature likely used its proboscis to force food into its mouth.
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Source: Segodnya
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