500 Million-Year-Old Fossil Revealed the Secret of Evolution

life on earth for millions of years Work continues to explore the details of its ongoing evolution. One of the questions that scientists sought answers to in this process was the source of the skeletons in all of us. A new study provides insight into the skeletons’ history.

Some creatures that lived more than 500 million years ago fossils Scientists who examined it revealed how the skeletons might have emerged. The very well-preserved fossils found in the Yunnan region of China made this discovery possible.

The appearance of skeletons dates back 500 million years.

With an event called the Cambrian Explosion, about 542 million years ago The diversity of life on our planet had increased tremendously. Nitrogen was abundant in the atmosphere, especially during this period when crustaceans proliferated. In addition, every living thing was quite large. In a world where insects were as large as cats, the first creatures with skeletons also appeared. It was not known why and how these skeletons appeared.

Discovered in the Yunnan Province of China and its soft tissues still stand on it. Gangtoucunia aspera Fossils of species of living things enable us to see the first skeletal specimens. The tentacles of this creature, which was quite small despite the giant structures around it, were half a centimeter long.

Thanks to calcium phosphorus, they managed to create a skeleton.

According to scientists, Gangtoucunia resembles some modern jellyfish species. In such creatures main structurecombined with a gel-like structure. Contrary to modern specimens, the main structure of this creature consists of calcium phosphorus, which has a hard structure. Thus, they were able to create a skeleton. Scientists think these creatures have evolved to develop a more protective structure against increasing predator threats.

Research Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences was published in the magazine.