Newly discovered species of ancient lampreys, eel-like swimmers with sharp suction cups for mouths, are helping scientists reconstruct the evolutionary history of these slithery parasites.
Large lampreys from the Jurassic period, found in China, reveal the early days of these suction cup-mouthed parasites of the sea.Lampreys have been feeding on flesh and blood since the depths of prehistory. These jawless, eel-like creatures have suctioning discs lined with teeth for mouths, which many modern species use to latch on to prey and suck blood from their living hosts.
Paleontologists usually don’t get to examine prehistoric lampreys in such detail. Despite existing for more than 360 million years, ancient lampreys are hard to find. “The lamprey fossil record is very sparse and poor,” Miyashita says, with mostly small species, only a few inches long, known from the first two hundred million years of their history.
The new fossils are “fascinating material,” he notes, providing a wealth of new information about a group of ancient animals that is mostly known from just a few isolated mouth parts. Now it is clear that by the Jurassic period, lampreys had evolved an impressive bite. A herd of hadrosaurs. A tiny Cretaceous mammal. The tooth of a predator. An “exceptional” fossil site in South America is giving scientists a new window into the end of the dinosaur age.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
160 Million Pounds of 'Secret Chemicals' Used by Oil and Gas in Pennsylvania, Report SaysA new report claims firms abuse a loophole to secretly use PFAS in Pennsylvania's oil and gas wells, avoiding disclosure to prevent competitive harm.
Read more »
BONE of Shiba Inu Aims for 160% Growth as Price Chart Hints at Familiar PatternShiba Inu's BONE token is gearing up for potential 160% surge, as historical data and bullish chart patterns signal
Read more »
Death toll lowered to 7 in Louisiana super fog highway crashes involving 160 vehiclesLouisiana authorities have lowered the death toll from last week's series of highway crashes blamed on a “super fog” of smoke from marsh fires and morning fog. State police now say seven people died in the Oct. 24 pileups involving about 160 vehicles on Interstate 55 near New Orleans.
Read more »
Ajustan cifra de muertos a 7 en choque de 160 vehículos por neblina en LuisianaLa cifra de muertos por la serie de choques de la semana pasada debido a una “súperneblina” compuesta de humo procedente de incendios forestales y una densa neblina se redujo de ocho a siete, informó la Policía Estatal de Luisiana.
Read more »
Ajustan cifra de muertos a 7 en choque de 160 vehículos por neblina en LuisianaLa cifra de muertos por la serie de choques de la semana pasada debido a una “súperneblina” compuesta de humo procedente de incendios forestales y una densa neblina se redujo de ocho a siete, informó la Policía Estatal de Luisiana.
Read more »
Mississippi Woman Loses 160 Lbs., Finds 'Joy in Running' Ahead of NYC Marathon (Exclusive)Lee Anne Barnes weighed 297 lbs. in 2007. Now 160 lbs. lighter, she is preparing to run the 2023 New York City Marathon. She has also helped organize a race for the kids in her hometown of Tupelo, Miss.
Read more »