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Observer
27-05-2025
- Science
- Observer
This Fossil's 3 Eyes Are Not Its Most Surprising Feature
More than 500 million years before 'The Simpsons' introduced us to Blinky, a fish with an extra eye swimming through Springfield's Old Fishin' Hole, a three-eyed predator chased prey through seas of the Cambrian Period. Known as Mosura fentoni, this creature is a worthy addition to the bizarre bestiary preserved in the Burgess Shale, a fossil deposit in the Canadian Rockies. But the animal's anatomy, described in the journal Royal Society Open Science, shows it may not be as alien as it looks. The first Mosura specimen was unearthed by a paleontologist more than a century ago. Over recent decades, paleontologists at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto have uncovered many more Mosura fossils, which they nicknamed 'sea moths' because of flaps that help them swim. Sea moths were not fish, but they were related to radiodonts, a group of arthropods that dominated Cambrian food chains. But a closer inspection would not occur until Mosura specimens were unearthed in 2012 in a Burgess Shale outcrop. Having both old and new specimens encouraged researchers to 'finally figure this animal out,' said Joseph Moysiuk, who studied the Marble Canyon fossils as a doctoral student. Moysiuk teamed up with his adviser at the Royal Ontario Museum, Jean-Bernard Caron, to examine 60 sea moth specimens. The specimens were photographed under polarized light to capture the flattened fossils' detailed anatomy. A defining feature of living arthropods is the division of their bodies into specialized parts. For example, crustaceans like crabs have different appendages adapted to perform certain functions like feeding or walking. Fossils of many early arthropod ancestors reveal relatively simple body plans. Researchers have therefore long proposed that segmentation took a long time to evolve. Mosura bucks this trend. Despite measuring only 2.5 inches long, the creature's body was divided into as many as 26 segments. 'It's something that we've never seen in this group of animals before,' said Moysiuk, who is now at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. In addition to its wide swimming flaps, the animal possessed a highly segmented trunk at the back of its body brimming with gills, resembling the abdomenlike structures that horseshoe crabs, woodlice and some insects use to breathe. — JACK TAMISIEA / NYT
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Can mushrooms really talk? Study suggests fungi have a vocabulary of 50 words
For decades, the concept of communication has largely been reserved for humans, animals, and occasionally plants. From birdsong to bee dances, the idea that living organisms can share information is well-established. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, a groundbreaking study has opened the doors to a new realm of communication—one that takes place underground, in the hidden world of fungi. Until now, we've marveled at robotic chefs and AI-driven food technologies. But few could have imagined that mushrooms—yes, the same kind you might toss into your salad—could potentially "talk" to one another using a language-like system. This might sound like science fiction, but recent research conducted by Professor Andrew Adamatzky from the University of the West of England challenges our understanding of intelligence in non-human life forms. By analyzing the electrical signals passed through fungal networks called mycelium, Adamatzky found patterns that closely resemble the structure and complexity of human language. According to the study, these signal patterns can be grouped into "words" and may serve as a form of communication between fungi. The findings, published in Royal Society Open Science, propose that mushrooms may not only be sentient in some form but could also possess a rudimentary vocabulary of up to 50 distinct "words." The implications of such a discovery are immense, potentially redefining how we perceive intelligence, communication, and life itself in the natural world. Do mushrooms have a language? 50 'words' found in fungal signals At the heart of this discovery lies mycelium, a vast network of fungal threads that not only facilitate nutrient exchange but may also serve as a communication superhighway. Often likened to the internet for plants, mycelium connects various organisms across forest ecosystems. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It is through this web that fungi transmit electrical impulses—signals that are now believed to carry complex information. To explore these signals, Professor Adamatzky and his team monitored the electrical activity of four mushroom species: Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) Split gill (Schizophyllum commune) Ghost fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis) Caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps militaris) Using a set of microelectrodes inserted into the mycelium, researchers recorded electrical spikes over several days. They then used computational models to analyze the data, identifying spike clusters that resembled word-like structures. Remarkably, some of these patterns shared statistical properties with human language, including average word length and recurrence of certain "core" signals. The research revealed that: The fungi produced spike clusters resembling up to 50 distinct "words". The average word length was 5.97 characters, compared to 4.8 characters in English. The core vocabulary—the most frequently used signals—consisted of 15 to 20 recurring patterns. Electrical activity increased when fungi encountered food sources or damage, suggesting the signals could indicate environmental status or alert other fungi. This structured communication implies a level of complexity not previously attributed to fungi. While not equivalent to human language, the findings suggest that fungi might share information about resources, environmental conditions, or danger—fundamental aspects of any form of intelligent communication. Mushroom communication: Fascinating insight or scientific overreach? Despite the groundbreaking nature of the study, Professor Adamatzky himself remains cautious. He acknowledges that while the patterns resemble human speech statistically, there's no definitive evidence that fungi are conscious or possess language as we define it. 'I do not claim they are talking in the same way humans do,' Adamatzky stated. 'But there are lots of similarities in information processing.' Skepticism is natural with a discovery this bold. Some researchers argue that calling these electrical spikes "words" is misleading and anthropocentric. Fungal communication, they argue, could be a byproduct of basic biological processes, rather than deliberate messaging. Others believe the study is a significant first step, but caution that further peer-reviewed work is essential to validate these conclusions. Fungi talk? Rethinking intelligence and consciousness If fungi can indeed communicate using a vocabulary-like system, it challenges our traditional definitions of intelligence and consciousness. It also raises ethical and philosophical questions about how we interact with the natural world. Could forests be engaging in silent dialogues below our feet? Understanding fungal communication could inspire new bio-mimetic technologies. Electrical signal-based messaging systems in fungi might pave the way for environmentally sensitive AI, sustainable agriculture practices, and even new forms of computing modeled on biological substrates. What comes next? Future research and exploration The study has already prompted calls for deeper investigation into fungal intelligence and cross-species communication. Future research may include: Real-time monitoring of fungal networks in natural ecosystems. Exploring whether fungal signals influence plant behavior. Decoding the "syntax" or order of fungal words. Investigating potential responses to music, light, or human speech. With thousands of mushroom species still unstudied in this context, the field of fungal linguistics is only just beginning.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Rarely seen ‘supergiant' deep-sea cousin of woodlice is actually quite common, study finds
A rarely spotted 'supergiant' crustacean related to woodlice is actually a common inhabitant of the sea floor, a new study finds. The deep-sea creature, Alicella gigantea, which can grow up to 34cm long, is the largest-known species of the amphipods. Amphipod is among the most diverse group of crustaceans, with over 10,000 extant species, including woodlice, shrimps, and lobsters. Amphipods are known to inhabit all aquatic environments worldwide. Alicella gigantea, commonly known as the 'supergiant amphipod', has long attracted attention due to its gigantism. It was first filmed in the 1970s at a depth of over 5,300m in the North Pacific but no records of the species were made for nearly two decades after, signifying low population densities. Infrequent sightings only served to buttress the belief that the giant crustacean was rare. There have been only seven studies so far detailing the DNA sequence data of the species. The latest study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, analyses nearly 200 records of Alicella gigantea from 75 locations on the seabed, spanning the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Researchers from the University of Western Australia now suggest the species may well be inhabiting over half the world's deep oceans. The study notes the crustacean thrives at extreme depths in 59 per cent of the world's oceans, indicating that it is far more widespread than previously thought. The research examines 195 records of the supergiant species, including genetic data from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, from 75 locations worldwide to map its distribution and evolutionary history. It concludes that while the creature is rarely collected, it is 'remarkably widespread'. 'There is an ever-growing body of evidence to show that A gigantea should be considered far from rare,' the research says. Although the crustacean's population density may be relatively low compared to other deep-sea amphipods, it inhabits an extraordinarily large geographical range, researchers say. 'Our results show that this species may occupy around 59 per cent of the world's oceans, indicating that the infrequently collected supergiant isn't 'rare' but instead represents a widely distributed deep-sea amphipod with an exceptional global range,' they write. The findings also point to insufficient research of creatures inhabiting the ocean at depths greater than 5,000m. This is in line with another recent study finding that humans have observed less than 0.001 per cent of the deep seafloor. 'We need a much better understanding of the deep ocean's ecosystems and processes to make informed decisions about resource management and conservation,' study lead author and marine explorer Katy Croff Bell says.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Three-eyed ancient predator ‘unlike any living animal' discovered
Scientists examining a rare fossil found in Canada's Burgess Shale have discovered a predator with three eyes that lived over 500 million years ago. The fossil species, named Mosura fentoni for resembling the fictional Japanese kaiju Mothra, was about the size of an index finger with three eyes, spiny jointed claws, a circular mouth lined with teeth, and a body with swimming flaps along its sides, researchers from the Royal Ontario Museum said. Mosura fentoni, also dubbed 'sea moth' due to its broad swimming flaps and narrow abdomen, was a member of an extinct group of animals called radiodonts, which included the meter-long marine predator Anomalocaris canadensis. It was, researchers said, 'unlike any living animal'. Mosura had a unique abdomen-like body region with multiple segments at its back end, according to a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. 'This is a neat example of evolutionary convergence with modern groups like horseshoe crabs, woodlice, and insects, which share a batch of segments bearing respiratory organs at the rear of the body," study co-author Joe Moysiuk said. Scientists said it was not clear why Mosura had this unique body adaptation but suspected it could be related to a particular habitat preference requiring more efficient respiration. It was distantly related to modern moths and belonged to a deeper branch of arthropods including spiders, crabs and millipedes. "Radiodonts were the first group of arthropods to branch out in the evolutionary tree, so they provide key insight into ancestral traits for the entire group,' Jean-Bernard Caron, another author of the study, said. 'The new species emphasises these early arthropods were already surprisingly diverse and were adapting in a comparable way to their distant modern relatives.' Mosura did not have arteries and veins, but an "open" circulatory system that involved the heart pumping blood into large internal body cavities called lacunae. "The well-preserved lacunae of the circulatory system in Mosura help us to interpret similar, but less clear features that we've seen before in other fossils,' Dr Moysiuk said. The Burgess Shale fossil grounds in Canada's Yoho and Kootenay National Parks are recognised as Unesco World Heritage Sites. 'Very few fossil sites in the world offer this level of insight into soft internal anatomy. We can see traces representing bundles of nerves in the eyes that would have been involved in image processing, just like in living arthropods,' Dr Caron said, adding that the 'details are astounding'.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Three-eyed ancient predator ‘unlike any living animal' discovered
Scientists examining a rare fossil found in Canada's Burgess Shale have discovered a predator with three eyes that lived over 500 million years ago. The fossil species, named Mosura fentoni for resembling the fictional Japanese kaiju Mothra, was about the size of an index finger with three eyes, spiny jointed claws, a circular mouth lined with teeth, and a body with swimming flaps along its sides, researchers from the Royal Ontario Museum said. Mosura fentoni, also dubbed 'sea moth' due to its broad swimming flaps and narrow abdomen, was a member of an extinct group of animals called radiodonts, which included the meter-long marine predator Anomalocaris canadensis. It was, researchers said, 'unlike any living animal'. Mosura had a unique abdomen-like body region with multiple segments at its back end, according to a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. 'This is a neat example of evolutionary convergence with modern groups like horseshoe crabs, woodlice, and insects, which share a batch of segments bearing respiratory organs at the rear of the body," study co-author Joe Moysiuk said. Scientists said it was not clear why Mosura had this unique body adaptation but suspected it could be related to a particular habitat preference requiring more efficient respiration. It was distantly related to modern moths and belonged to a deeper branch of arthropods including spiders, crabs and millipedes. "Radiodonts were the first group of arthropods to branch out in the evolutionary tree, so they provide key insight into ancestral traits for the entire group,' Jean-Bernard Caron, another author of the study, said. 'The new species emphasises these early arthropods were already surprisingly diverse and were adapting in a comparable way to their distant modern relatives.' Mosura did not have arteries and veins, but an "open" circulatory system that involved the heart pumping blood into large internal body cavities called lacunae. "The well-preserved lacunae of the circulatory system in Mosura help us to interpret similar, but less clear features that we've seen before in other fossils,' Dr Moysiuk said. The Burgess Shale fossil grounds in Canada's Yoho and Kootenay National Parks are recognised as Unesco World Heritage Sites. 'Very few fossil sites in the world offer this level of insight into soft internal anatomy. We can see traces representing bundles of nerves in the eyes that would have been involved in image processing, just like in living arthropods,' Dr Caron said, adding that the 'details are astounding'.
