Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery – a 520-million-year-old fossilized larva that still has its brain and guts intact. This remarkable find has provided a unique window into the past, allowing experts to better understand the evolutionary links between ancient arthropods and those alive today.
Typically, fossils are just impressions of small creatures or animals left in rocks. But this exceptional discovery is unlike any other. The ancient critter’s soft tissues have been preserved almost perfectly, giving scientists a rare glimpse into the past.
The fossilized larva has been studied using 3D imaging and synchrotron X-ray tomography. According to the findings, the structures observed within the creature include a brain, digestive glands, a primitive circulatory system, and even traces of nerves supplying its simple legs and eyes.
This level of detail preservation has allowed scientists to dramatically revise their understanding of early arthropods. The discovery of a region in the brain known as the protocerebrum has revealed evolutionary connections between ancient arthropods and those that thrive today.
Lead researcher Martin Smith said, “When I used to daydream about the one fossil I’d most like to discover, it was always an arthropod larva…I already knew this simple worm-like fossil was something special, but when I saw the amazing structures preserved under its skin, my jaw just dropped – how could these intricate features have avoided decay and still be here to see half a billion years later?”
This remarkable find has given scientists a unique window into the past, allowing them to gain insights into the evolution of arthropods. The team is thrilled that this ancient creature was preserved at all, providing a rare opportunity to study its internal structures.
Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a61793850/scientists-find-fossil-with-brains-and-guts-intact/