Ancient Jellyfish Unearthed: Oldest Swimmer Ever Found
The Royal Ontario Museum has announced the discovery of the oldest known swimming jellyfish, Burgessomedusa phasmiformis, in the Burgess Shale. These 505-million-year-old fossils provide evidence that large, bell-shaped jellyfish had already evolved over half a billion years ago. The well-preserved specimens reveal details of their internal anatomy and tentacles, indicating that Burgessomedusa was capable of free-swimming and capturing sizable prey. This discovery sheds light on the complexity of the Cambrian food chain and adds to our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.