Posted on 05/28/2011 7:47:24 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The creatures, known as anomalocaridids, were already thought to be the largest animals of the Cambrian period, known for the "Cambrian Explosion" that saw the sudden appearance of all the major animal groups and the establishment of complex ecosystems about 540 to 500 million years ago. Fossils from this period suggested these marine predators grew to be about two feet long. Until now, scientists also thought these strange invertebrates -- which had long spiny head limbs presumably used to snag worms and other prey, and a circlet of plates around the mouth -- died out at the end of the Cambrian.
Now a team led by former Yale researcher Peter Van Roy (now at Ghent University in Belgium) and Derek Briggs, director of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, has discovered a giant fossilized anomalocaridid that measures one meter (more than three feet) in length. The anomalocaridid fossils reveal a series of blade like filaments in each segment across the animal's back, which scientists think might have functioned as gills.
In addition, the creature dates back to the Ordovician period, a time of intense biodiversification that followed the Cambrian, meaning these animals existed for 30 million years longer than previously realized.
The specimens are just part of a new trove of fossils from Morocco that includes thousands of examples of soft-bodied marine fauna dating back to the early Ordovician period, 488 to 472 million years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at physorg.com ...
The anomalocaridid fossil shows this ancient sea predator existed for much longer and grew to much larger sizes than previously thought. Credit: Peter Van Roy Anomalocaridids had long, spiny head limbs presumably used to snag prey, and a series of blade-like filaments in segments across the animal's back, which scientists think might have functioned as gills. Credit: Esben Horn
If we could just find some still alive, we would need a lot of butter and garlic.
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And a big side of hushpuppies.
Wow! They found a video with it? Was it VHS or proto-beta?
An intellect AND a poet...when we fry it up, we'll give you a holler! ; )
Nothing a 45/70 wouldn’t stop....
Does this story have anything to do with what was seen in Anthony Weiner’s underpants?
Guess not - this is about something big.
There’s one in every crowd. ;’)
;’)
"Oh, ohhhhh! Thanks for the visual!"
Or a hammer.
No self-respecting Southerner would eat hush-puppies with any dish that wasn’t fried.
Yuck! Not me. This thing looks nasty!
Lobsters are not pretty but they taste good.
:’)
Hush little puppies, don’t you fry...
Nice!!
True. But lobsters don’t grow two foot do they? I dunno, the thing looks primordial for sure.
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