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When researchers discover fossils of new species for science, it is only natural that they try to find them a place in the colossal tree of life, by associating them with related species that may even exist today. hui. A newly discovered species of ancient creature pushes this practice to its absolute limit.
Tiny fossils discovered in Colombia and the United States reveal the existence of a pint – sized marine animal that lived about 90 million years ago. This is what is called a crab, but the researchers who discovered it find it obvious how radically different it is from any other known crab species.
The species is so strange, in fact, that its discoverers wink at its strange nature in its very name. The little crab has been named Callichimaera perplexa and, as his name indicates, his discovery was quite confusing for scientists.
With paddle-shaped paddles for swimming and a pair of huge eyes that see all around his sharp face, he's built like no other crab in the fossil record. This is unique, not only for the strange features it has, but also for the common characteristics of the crab that are totally lacking.
"Callichimaera perplexa is so unique and strange that it can be considered the platypus of the crab world, "said Javier Luque, of Yale, who led the research, in a statement. "This suggests that new forms are evolving and becoming so disparate over time. Usually, we think that crabs are large animals with large shells, strong claws, small eyes in long locks, and a small tail folded under the body. Well, Callichimaera defies all these "crabby" characteristics and forces us to rethink our definition of what makes a crab a crab. "
It is a fantastic discovery that reminds us that, whatever the diversity of life on Earth today, the history of our planet is rich in stranger developments than we can imagine.
Source of the image: Yale
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