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Tunicates

All articles tagged with #tunicates

paleontology2 years ago

"Unveiling the Astonishing Secrets of a 500-Million-Year-Old Marine Invertebrate Fossil"

Researchers have discovered a 500-million-year-old fossil of a tunicate, a strange marine invertebrate, shedding light on the ancestral lifestyle and evolutionary origins of these creatures. The fossil, named Megasiphon thylakos, reveals that ancestral tunicates were stationary, filter-feeding adults that likely underwent metamorphosis from a tadpole-like larva. Tunicates are the closest relatives of vertebrates, making their study crucial for understanding our own evolutionary origins. M. thylakos is the oldest definitive tunicate fossil with soft tissue preservation, providing valuable insights into the anatomy and early evolutionary history of these enigmatic creatures. The discovery was made in the middle Cambrian Marjum Formation in Utah, which has the potential to reveal more secrets about ancient animal groups.

via SciTechDaily|
#cambrian-explosion#evolution#fossil
paleontology2 years ago

Ancient Cambrian Fossil Unravels Evolutionary Enigma

The discovery of a well-preserved, half-billion-year-old fossil of an ancient tunicate species called Megasiphon thylakos is shedding light on the evolutionary origins of vertebrates. Tunicates are the sister group of vertebrates, and this fossil provides insights into what early tunicates looked like and how they lived. The fossil resembles ascidiacea, suggesting that this body form is ancestral. The findings also suggest that tunicates originated around 500 million years ago. Further research is needed to uncover the evolutionary connections between tunicates, vertebrates, and other deuterostomes.

via Livescience.com|
#cambrian#evolution#fossil
science2 years ago

Unraveling the Enigma of an Ancient Sea Creature's Evolution

A 500 million-year-old fossil of a tunicate, a close relative of vertebrates, has shed light on the evolution of these peculiar sea creatures. The fossil, known as Megasiphon thylakos, suggests that the divergence between free-swimming appendicularians and other tunicates occurred earlier than previously estimated. The fossil's characteristics indicate that ancient tunicates may have started as sessile organisms, similar to modern ascidiaceans. Tunicates, belonging to the phylum Chordata, are genetically closer to vertebrates than cephalochordates, challenging previous assumptions about their evolutionary relationship. Further fossils may reveal more about the origins of tunicates and their connection to vertebrates.

via Ars Technica|
#cambrian-explosion#evolution#fossil
paleontology2 years ago

From Ocean Floor to Success: The Rise of Sea Squirts

Researchers have discovered a 500-million-year-old fossil, named Megasiphon thylakos, that closely resembles a modern sea squirt, providing evidence that the ancestors of tunicates were bottom-dwellers. This finding pushes back the origin of the basic vertebrate body plan by 50 million years. The fossil's well-preserved soft tissues, including muscle structures and two siphons, strongly suggest that it is a tunicate. The discovery raises questions about the scarcity of tunicate fossils and the evolution of their different lifestyles.

via Defector|
#evolution#fossil#marine-invertebrates
paleontology2 years ago

Ancient Fossil Unveils Startling Tunicate Origins

The discovery of a 500-million-year-old fossil named Megasiphon thylakos sheds light on the origins of tunicates, a group of marine invertebrates closely related to vertebrates. The fossil reveals that ancestral tunicates lived as stationary, filter-feeding adults and underwent metamorphosis from a tadpole-like larva. The fossil, found in Utah's Marjum Formation, is the oldest definitive tunicate fossil with soft tissue preservation and provides valuable insights into the early evolutionary history of this enigmatic group. The discovery suggests that the basic body plan of tunicates was already established soon after the Cambrian Explosion, a major evolutionary event.

via Phys.org|
#cambrian-explosion#evolution#fossil