The spiky 'mud dragon' that lived half a BILLION years ago: Fossils of strange species may reveal how worms evolved
- Fossils of a 535 million-year-old 'mud dragon' were found in China
- Creature had an armored body covered in rows of thorn-like spines
- Researchers believe it is an early ancestor of today's 'mud dragons'
Fossils of a 535 million-year-old 'mud dragon' have been discovered in China.
The creature had an armored body, rows of spines and a mouth ringed with sharp teeth, causing some to liken it to the terrifying sandworms from the 'Dune' sci-fi novels
But while its appearance may sound fearsome, the marine creature was just a few millimetres in length and an early ancestor to today's 'kinorhynch'.
The discovery, made by researchers in China's Nanjiang County, could provide important clues on how creatures with segmented bodies, such as worms, evolved.
Fossils of a 535 million-year-old 'mud dragon' have been discovered in China. Pictured is an artist's impression. While its appearance may sound fearsome, the marine creature was just a few millimetres in length and an early ancestor to today's 'kinorhynch' species
The area studied was once covered by a phosphate-rich ocean, where the newly-discovered creature, dubbed Eokinorhynchus raru, thrived.
'These tiny worms probably lived in the interstitial spaces within sandy sediments, so they likely used the spiky spines to anchor themselves when navigating among sand grains,' Virginia Tech's Shuhai Xiao told IFLScience.
'They may have also functioned as defensive structures.'
The phosphate in the oceans fossilised the worm-like creatures, causing their bodies to transform into the same material that makes teeth and bones, according to an in-depth report by Live Science.
The creature is believed to have had 20 armored body segments, each one circled by plates and studded with spines.
Pictured is a scanning electron microscopic image of Eokinorhynchus rarus. 'These tiny worms probably lived in the interstitial spaces within sandy sediments,' according to the researchers
Mud dragons, also known as kinorhynchans, are 1mm segmented, limbless animals, with a body consisting of a head, neck, and a trunk
The creature had an armored body, rows of spines and a mouth ringed with teeth, causing some to liken it to the terrifying sandworms from the 'Dune' sci-fi novels (pictured)
It may be an ancestor of marine invertebrates called kinorhynchs, also known as mud dragons, according to the findings published in Scientific Reports.
Today, around 240 kinorhynch species exist, and their bodies are divided into three segments; the head, the neck and the trunk.
The head includes a mouth cone with circlets of teeth, and the trunk is further split up into 11 segments.
Earlier studies suggested that the species diverged just before the Cambrian, but up until now, no kinorhynch fossils have been found.
The team found a number of similarities between the new extinct species and today's kinorhynchs to suggest that they may be related.
Both creatures have trunks that are divided into segments, each made up of small plates. They also both have hollow spines called spinose sclerites.
The main difference is that E. rarus has five pairs of large spikes arranged around the trunk, one spine located in the middle of its body and two pairs of spines located near the anus.
Despite being around for a billion years, the fossil record of kinorhynchs has huge gaps.
The latest discovery could help provide a clearer understanding of the species, as well as provide vital clues to how segmented bodied evolved.
The discovery, made by researchers in China's Nanjiang County, could provide important clues on how creatures with segmented bodies evolved
Most watched News videos
- Scottish woman has temper tantrum at Nashville airport
- Tesla Cybertruck explodes in front of Trump hotel in Las Vegas
- Mass panic as New Orleans attacker flies down Bourbon street
- Shocking moment zookeeper is fatally mauled by lions in private zoo
- Horrific video shows aftermath of New Orleans truck 'attack'
- Meghan Markle celebrates new year in first Instagram video
- Tesla Cybertruck burns outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas
- See how truck that drove into crowd made it through police barrier
- Cheerful Melania Trump bops to YMCA at Mar-a-Lago NYE bash
- New Orleans terror attack suspect reveals background in video
- Plane passenger throws drink at flight attendant in boozy fight
- Horrifying moment yacht crashes into rocks and sinks off Mexico coast
