In an ancient lake in Canada full of sea fossils, researchers have discovered a strange thing: a blind arthropod used stilts to get around!
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[EN VIDÉO] 5 Animal fossils Platypus, Nautilus, Cockroach, Golcanth or pig-nosed tortoise have evolved sparingly over millions of years.
A quarry overflows near Lake Simco in southern Canada Marine fossils. As recently as the so-called “Paleo Pompeii”! In this quarry, scientists have discovered Many fossils Dating fromOrdovicianThe second period Paleozoic It stretches from 488 million years ago to 444 million years ago. At the time, there was no quarry, but water, more precisely the shallow tropical ocean that covers much of present-day Canada. Little by little, the storms changed the landscape and covered the sea SedimentAnd its citizens simultaneously. “What we see is the rapid burial of these creatures that lived on this flat, shallow ocean floor and was repeatedly crushed by storms by large underwater landslides.”Says Joseph Moiziuk, the first author of a study published in the journal Journal of Paleontology And Biologist Scalable at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Within “Paleo Pompeii”, the group Ancient researchers To say the least, he discovered an amazing creature! Named Tomlinsonus DmitryIt belongs to a classExtinct arthropods, Marrellomarps that inhabited the oceans 450 million years ago. His body, in particular, is exceptionally well-preserved because of its soft body, the researchers say!
Well-preserved Marrellomarp Arthropod
In most cases, this type of body is not fossilized, but decomposes. “When we think of fossils, we usually think of things like bones Bombs Of dinosaurs. However, soft tissue protection is very rare, and there are only a few sites in the world where soft-bodied organisms have been found. “, Details J. Moysiuk. According to ancient researchers, this newly discovered specimen resembles another speciesJoint Pain Extinct soft body, that is Marrella SplendonsFound in Burgess Shale In British Columbia.
Like other arthropods such as spiders, it has several pairs of legs on its body, the most unusual being: “Below the head are these wonderful pair of joints, which are very long and have foot-like projections at the terminal ends, which we think will be used to move its way across the ocean.J. Moysiuk explains. He also appears to be blindEyes All. ⁇
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