Latest news with #fossil
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Science
- BBC News
Mollisonia symmetrica: Fossil suggests spiders originated in the sea
Did spiders first appear on land or in the sea? That's a question that has puzzled scientists for many years.A team of researchers in America think they might have found the discovered a tiny 500-million-year-old marine fossil that suggests that arachnids (a group of animals which includes spiders, scorpions and ticks) evolved in the ocean, before moving out of the water and adapting to land. What did scientists discover? An international team of experts led by the University of Arizona in the US, decided to take a closer look at a half-a-billion-year-old marine fossil of an extinct animal called Mollisonia undertook a detailed analysis of its well-preserved features including its brain and central nervous system. Until now, the creature was thought to be an ancient member of a specific group of arthropods known as chelicerates, which lived during the Cambrian period (around 500 million years ago) and are ancestors to modern-day horseshoe crabs. However, to the team's surprise, they found that the brain structure of the Mollisonia symmetrica was not similar to that of horseshoe crabs, as would be it had more in common with modern spiders and their led scientists to suggest that the first spiders were marine, originating in the ocean. Professor Nicholas Strausfield, the lead author of the study, said that many questions still remain over how arachnids evolved and moved from the sea to the land."It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs."He also suggested what these ancient spiders could have fed on when they first moved on to the land. "We might imagine that a Mollisonia-like arachnid also became adapted to terrestrial life making early insects and millipedes their daily diet," Professor Strausfield team now think that Mollisonia symmetrica could be the ancient ancestor of a wide range of arachnids including spiders and scorpions.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Woman unearths massive tooth from terrifying prehistoric creature on US beach
A Florida woman's beach walk turned into a viral sensation after she unearthed a massive prehistoric tooth, likely from a giant shark that ruled Earth's oceans millions of years ago. The discovery has sparked a wave of excitement among fossil hunters and shark enthusiasts, as the perfectly preserved tooth likely belonged to one of the most fearsome sea creatures in Earth's history - the Megalodon. Nichole Mercuri, 26, was walking solo along the west coast of Florida when she spotted an enormous triangle-shaped object buried in the sand earlier this summer. She filmed the jaw-dropping moment when she pulled the tooth from the sand and posted it on her social media, where her video has racked up more than 929,000 likes, turning her fossil find into an online celebration. Mercuri said in a video shared on Instagram: 'There is no way, I just found, please be whole, oh my God!' A recent study published by the Florida Museum of Natural History confirmed that Megalodon teeth can range up to seven inches and were shaped like serrated knives. Experts say Megalodon teeth this size are extremely rare, especially when found intact. The extinct predator, which lived between 23 million and 3.6 million years ago, could grow as long as 60 feet and had a bite force strong enough to crush a car. Mercuri's discovery has reignited public fascination with prehistoric sea life, especially a creature that may have once hunted whales and rival sharks, and sparked debate over how many undiscovered fossils may still be buried in the sands of Florida. The ancient tooth can be identified by its jagged edges, sharp triangular shape, and the deep gray or black color that fossilized material takes on after millions of years underground. 'It had that classic triangular form and serrated edges,' Mercuri told 'I've seen other people in person pull out Meg teeth in Florida before, so I knew what I was looking at.' Unlike bones, teeth made of hard enamel survive the test of time, making them the most common fossils left behind by the Megalodon, a predator so massive it had a jaw wide enough to swallow a human whole. The Florida Museum says these fossils usually surface after storms, dredging, or erosion dislodged from ancient sea beds and buried beneath modern beaches. Mercuri did not reveal the exact beach where she found the tooth, only saying it was on Florida's west coast. However, Mercuri added there is no special trick to finding something so rare. 'You can find teeth and fossils at certain beaches in Florida, Peace River, and inland,' she explained. 'There's honestly no secret, just a lot of time spent searching, learning from past finds, and keeping an open mind,' she continued. 'Sometimes it's more about knowing where not to look. And occasionally, luck plays a part too,' the fossil hunter added. Mercuri has collected more than 100 shark teeth over the years, and recently began targeting spots with the right geological conditions where prehistoric sediment is more likely to surface. 'Since last year I started going to certain places, and that's when I started finding bigger teeth,' she said. Her room is now lined with shelves packed with shark teeth, shells, and fossils, a visual timeline of her passion, which began when she was a child walking the beach with her father. Mercuri's favorite piece is still the first whole Megalodon tooth she found in 2024. Her latest discovery was the second from this species. 'It's a baby Megalodon and definitely not as big as the other ones I have found, but it will always be my favorite,' she said. Though she's not a trained paleontologist, Mercuri said she has spent years studying fossils through online groups and community forums. Mercuri joined Facebook groups where collectors swap tips on where to search and how to tell real fossils from broken shells or rocks. 'If someone wants to get into this, I always tell them to join a Facebook group,' she said. 'There are places in Florida you can find fossils or cool shells, you just have to go for it.' She encouraged beginners not to wait for a guide, just to start looking. 'You've got to do it yourself. That way you can find what you're looking for,' Mercuri said Wednesday. Megalodon teeth have been found around the world, but Florida is one of the top places in the US to spot them, thanks to its shifting ocean floor and storm-prone coastline. With over 250 teeth in rows like giant steak knives, the Megalodon ripped through prey with ease, making it one of the deadliest predators to ever swim in the ocean. The Florida Museum noted that areas like Venice Beach and Peace River are well-known among collectors, though some of the best finds still come from random walks on quiet beaches. Mercuri said what keeps her going is the thrill of the unexpected, and the rush of touching something that hasn't seen daylight for millions of years. 'Finding these pieces of history just lying in the sand is wild,' she said. 'It's like holding time in your hand.' 'Every time I go out, I just hope I'll find something special. And this one? It blew my mind.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Spiders may have evolved in the ocean before adapting to land, fossil reveals
One of the creepiest, crawliest creatures of the Earth may have been swimming before adapting to live on land, new research suggests. Spiders and their arachnid relatives may have actually originated in the sea, according to analysis of an "exquisitely preserved" fossil that lived 500 million years ago. The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Current Biology. MORE: 99-million-year-old 'zombie' fungi found preserved in amber, scientists say Researchers at the University of Arizona completed a detailed analysis of the brain and central nervous system of an extinct animal called Mollisonia symmetrica, according to the study. The species was previously thought to represent an ancestral member of a specific group of arthropods called chelicerates that lived during the Cambrian period -- between 540 and 485 million years ago. Chelicerates were believed to be ancestors to modern-day horseshoe crabs. However, the scientists were surprised to discover that the neural arrangements in Mollisonia's fossilized brain are not organized like those in horseshoe crabs. Instead, they are organized the same way as in modern spiders and their relatives, the researchers said. The anterior part of Mollisonia's body -- the prosoma -- contains a radiating pattern of segmental ganglia that control the movements of five pairs of segmental appendages, the researchers said. In addition, an unsegmented brain extends short nerves to a pair of pincer-like "claws," similar to the fangs of spiders and other arachnids. The decisive feature that demonstrates the fossil was likely an early arachnid is the unique organization of the brain -- a reverse of the front-to-back arrangement found in present-day crustaceans, insects, centipedes and horseshoe crabs, the researchers said. MORE: Fossils from giant possum-like mammal that lived 60 million years ago found in Texas It's as if the brain has been "flipped backwards," which is what is seen in modern spiders," said Nick Strausfeld, a regents professor at the University of Arizona and lead author of the paper, in a statement. This may be a crucial evolutionary development, as studies of existing spider brains suggest that a back-to-front arrangement in the brain provides shortcuts from neuronal control centers to underlying circuits, which control the spider's movements, said Frank Hirth, a reader of evolutionary neuroscience at King's College London and co-author of the paper. The arrangement likely helps the spiders hunt stealthily and dexterity for the spinning of webs. The arachnid brain is "unlike any other brain" on Earth, Strausfeld said. "This is a major step in evolution, which appears to be exclusive to arachnids," Hirth said. MORE: Fossils found in North America reveal new species of 'very odd' sea monster: Scientists Spiders and scorpions have existed for about 400 million years with little change -- dominating the Earth as the most successful group of arthropodan predators. The finding challenges the widely held belief that diversification occurred only after a common ancestor had moved to the shore, according to the study. Previous fossil records appeared to indicate that arachnids lived and diversified exclusively on land. "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors, and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs," Strausfeld said. While the Mollisonia outwardly resembles some other early chelicerates from the time period, its body was composed of two parts: a rounded "carapace" in the front and a sturdy segmented trunk ending in a tail-like structure, the analysis found. Some researchers had previously compared its body composition to that of scorpions, but no one had previously claimed that it was anything "more exotic" than a chelicerate. The first creatures to come onto land were likely millipede-like anthropods and other ancestral, insect-like creatures -- an evolutionary branch of crustaceans, Strausfeld said. MORE: What paleontologists learned from fossils of a 3-eyed predator that lived 500 million years ago Early insects and millipedes were likely part of the Mollisonia-like arachnid's daily diet when they adapted to land, he added. The first arachnids on land may have also contributed to the evolution of insect wings, a "critical defense mechanism," Strausfeld said. The Mollisonia's lineage likely gave rise to spiders, scorpions, sun spiders, vinegarroons and whip scorpions, the researchers said.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Science
- Washington Post
Fossilized penis worm suggests Grand Canyon was an evolutionary hotbed
Roughly a half-billion years ago, a minuscule penis worm armed with a retractable spiky mouth crawled around prehistoric Arizona. After eons fossilized inside a rock, the newly identified species was unveiled in a study Wednesday, and the worm's sophisticated eating apparatus shows that the Grand Canyon was once an evolutionary 'Goldilocks zone,' its authors say, where conditions were so abundant that animals like this one could afford to take risks as they evolved.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Irish Times
Irish university central to discovery of ancient reptile that forces evolution rethink
A newly discovered reptile has led scientists 'back to the drawing board' on feather evolution. Although existing 70 million years before the oldest fossil feathers, the Mirasaura grauvogeli has long outer layer structures which share similarities with feathers. Originating from Grès à Voltzia in northeastern France, these reptiles had a large crest of plume-like structures, similar to how modern-day feathers look. Palaeontologists at University College Cork (UCC), along with an international team of researchers from Germany , Italy , France and the USA , discovered the new species of fossil reptile from the Triassic period, which ended around 201 million years ago. Professor Maria McNamara, leader of the UCC team and co-author of the study, told The Irish Times that the fossils were 'originally discovered in the 1930s by an amateur, Louis Grauvogel', who retained and protected them during the second World War. READ MORE Prof Maria McNamara and Dr Valentina Rossi with a fossil specimen showing the Mirasaura crest. Photograph: UCC 'They were kind of rediscovered by the family in an old drawer' and 'donated to the Stuttgart museum of national history', she said. The team at UCC, made up of Prof McNamara, Dr Valentina Rossi and Dr Tiffany Slater, were asked to analyse the soft tissues of the specimen. They examined the fossil's outer layer using scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray analyses. The microscope used by the UCC team allowed them to examine the sample without applying any conductive coating (such as metal or gold), which usually improves the imaging of samples. 'Our electron microscope allows us to put in whole big fossils without coating them', so 'it doesn't damage the specimens in any way', said Prof McNamara. The synchrotron X-ray analysis told the researchers of the chemical composition of the fossil. They found the fossil's soft tissues were rich in copper, which is a common element associated with feathers. The holotype of Mirasaura showing the bird-like skull and the crest along the back. Credit: Stephan Spiekman The team also found the fossil tissue was rich in preserved melanosomes (cell organelles that contain melanin pigments), which are common in the feathers, skin, hair and internal organs of fossil and modern vertebrate animals. They discovered that the melanosomes in Mirasaura are similar in shape to those in feathers, but not mammal hair or reptilian skin. 'We know that in modern animals, melanosome shape is closely linked to tissue type,' said Dr Rossi. 'We can therefore be confident that the Mirasaura structures share some common developmental features with feathers.' Dr Slater said the discovery 'forces us back to the drawing board for when feather-like structures first evolved'. She added: 'Mirasaura reveals a deeper, more complex evolutionary story than we ever expected.' Prof McNamara said this discovery 'suggests there is the very real possibility other ancient reptiles were evolving very showy plumes', which is 'really exciting'. She added that such discoveries would not be possible 'if those specimens remained in private hands'. 'Because these specimens were donated to a public institution, it's only then that they became accessible to scientists, and only because of that goodwill that we are able to make these really ground-breaking discoveries,' she said.
