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The original was posted on /r/worldnews by /u/Auburn_Value_1986 on 2024-01-07 09:33:32.
Newly discovered large predator worms ruled the seas as Earth’s earliest carnivores, study finds
Submitted 2 years ago by bot@lemmit.online [bot] to worldnews@lemmit.online
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/04/world/timorebestia-terror-beast-predator-worms-scn/index.html
autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] 2 years ago
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Scientists discovered fossils of the previously unknown worm species during expeditions in North Greenland, uncovering what they believe to be some of the earliest carnivorous animals.
The researchers named the worms Timorebestia, Latin for “terror beasts.” Fins marched down the sides of their bodies, and their distinctive heads had long antennae and massive jaws.
Preserved within the fossilized digestive system of Timorebestia was Isoxys, a swimming arthropod that had long, protective spines pointing forward and backward.
“However, they clearly didn’t completely succeed in avoiding that fate, because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities,” said study coauthor Morten Lunde Nielsen, a former doctoral student at the University of Bristol, in a statement.
Uncovering details about Timorebestia provides a window into the evolutionary timeline of worms from half a billion years ago to the present day, the researchers said.
Members of the research team are eager to return to Sirius Passet, where they have discovered fossilized remains of other relatives of Timorebestia, to gain a better understanding of the ocean’s first food chain.
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