General Discussion

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts) Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:05 AM Feb 2013

500-Million-Year-Old Sea Creature With Limbs Under Its Head Unearthed

Scientists have unearthed extraordinarily preserved fossils of a 520-million-year-old sea creature, one of the earliest animal fossils ever found, according to a new study.

The fossilized animal, an arthropod called a fuxhianhuiid, has primitive limbs under its head, as well as the earliest example of a nervous system that extended past the head. The primitive creature may have used the limbs to push food into its mouth as it crept across the seafloor. The limbs may shed light on the evolutionary history of arthropods, which include crustaceans and insects.

"Since biologists rely heavily on organization of head appendages to classify arthropod groups, such as insects and spiders, our study provides a crucial reference point for reconstructing the evolutionary history and relationships of the most diverse and abundant animals on Earth," said study co-author Javier Ortega-Hernández, an earth scientist at the University of Cambridge, in a statement. "This is as early as we can currently see into arthropod limb development."

The findings were published today (Feb. 27) in the journal Nature.

more...http://news.yahoo.com/500-million-old-sea-creature-limbs-under-head-180743101.html

58 replies

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Highlight:

500-Million-Year-Old Sea Creature With Limbs Under Its Head Unearthed (Original Post) AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 OP

Looks like a squid MiniMe Feb 2013 #1

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Feb 2013 #2

Sure thing... AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #3

Yes it is a fascinating time capsule. Uncle Joe Feb 2013 #4

Stupid science always trying to awaken cthulhu. There goes the planet Exultant Democracy Feb 2013 #5

imagine that! AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #6

I think you are endorsing "lies from the Pit of Hell" according to Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA). pampango Feb 2013 #7

Amazing isn't? AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #8

Amazingly sad... awoke_in_2003 Feb 2013 #40

"I am surprised there is no one claiming that the earth really is flat" BUT SOME ARE Dragonfli Feb 2013 #56

Seriously .. AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #57

all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell AlbertCat Feb 2013 #21

We should bow down to our overlords, repent, and eat well. GiveMeFreedom Feb 2013 #58

+1000! FirstLight Feb 2013 #27

As I said down thread.... AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #29

Our Solar System Formed Roughly 4.5 Billion Years Ago DallasNE Feb 2013 #53

I remember reading about a moon AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #55

here is a better shot of that fossil Motown_Johnny Feb 2013 #9

Y'a know... AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #10

so might my facebook pic, or yours..... Motown_Johnny Feb 2013 #11

You'd need about 52 thousand volumes caseymoz Feb 2013 #31

I was using AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #33

I thought of it as the digest. nt caseymoz Feb 2013 #44

So much alike! AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #46

"may have used the limbs to push food into its mouth " Myrina Feb 2013 #12

or AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #14

Rush always reminds me of Jabba the Hut Myrina Feb 2013 #16

Do you think Jabba the Hut AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #17

LOL, I dunno ... they may be long lost twins ... Myrina Feb 2013 #18

Yawn. Obviously died in old Noahy's flood 4,000 years ago so can't be that old. yellowcanine Feb 2013 #13

Well its obvious that AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #15

Well, its clear that the creature walked with men, you can see the saddle marks on its back 1-Old-Man Feb 2013 #19

ooooh boy... AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #20

I recommmend "Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History" by Stephen Jay Gould slackmaster Feb 2013 #22

And anything else by Stephen Jay Gould, too! arcane1 Feb 2013 #37

That's a good one, but I recommend: FSogol Feb 2013 #41

Many of the Burgess creatures have been reexamined ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #42

I swear I think I read about this a year or so ago... MynameisBlarney Feb 2013 #23

really cool iandhr Feb 2013 #24

isn't though??...but you know what would be cooler? AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #26

Classic... Spitfire of ATJ Feb 2013 #25

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn thelordofhell Feb 2013 #28

You said it !!! AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #30

With a side of Kimchi thelordofhell Feb 2013 #35

Where's my Lovecraft de-coder ring?!! patrice Feb 2013 #51

Also... MynameisBlarney Feb 2013 #32

Too cool! And cute, too! arcane1 Feb 2013 #34

I had fossilized fish MynameisBlarney Feb 2013 #36

Here's a pic of it in it's prime for a T-shirt: Liberalagogo Feb 2013 #47

There must be a second one go west young man Feb 2013 #38

Noah donated it AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #39

It has a Dr. Seuss cartoon face. caseymoz Feb 2013 #43

So thats what happened to the Grinch! AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #45

"More work of the Devil!" another_liberal Feb 2013 #48

It makes me wonder how we managed to AsahinaKimi Feb 2013 #49

All of that praying . . . another_liberal Feb 2013 #50

Now a book on the Chinese fossils ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #52

It's Cthulhu NewJeffCT Feb 2013 #54

MiniMe

(21,717 posts)

1. Looks like a squid

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:19 AM

Feb 2013

Uncle Joe

(58,366 posts)

2. Kicked and recommended.

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:24 AM

Feb 2013

Thanks for the thread, AsahinaKimi.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

3. Sure thing...

Reply to Uncle Joe (Reply #2)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:27 AM

Feb 2013

Love stuff like this.

Uncle Joe

(58,366 posts)

4. Yes it is a fascinating time capsule.

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #3)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:31 AM

Feb 2013

Peace to you.

Exultant Democracy

(6,594 posts)

5. Stupid science always trying to awaken cthulhu. There goes the planet

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:32 AM

Feb 2013

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

6. imagine that!

Reply to Exultant Democracy (Reply #5)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:33 AM

Feb 2013

A 500 million year old fossil on a planet that's supposed to be only 6000 yrs old!!

pampango

(24,692 posts)

7. I think you are endorsing "lies from the Pit of Hell" according to Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA).

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #6)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:53 AM

Feb 2013

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) tore into scientists as tools of the devil in a speech at the Liberty Baptist Church Sportsman’s Banquet last month.

“All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” Broun said. “And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”

According to Broun, the scientific plot was primarily concerned with hiding the true age of the Earth. Broun serves on the House Science Committee, which came under scrutiny recently after another one of its Republican members, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), suggested that victims of “legitimate rape” have unnamed biological defenses against pregnancy.

“You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth,” he said. “I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says.”

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/rep-paul-broun-r-ga-evolution-big-bang-lies-straight-from-the-pit-of-hell.php?ref=fpb

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

8. Amazing isn't?

Reply to pampango (Reply #7)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:59 AM

Feb 2013

Seriously, what year is it? 2013? And Pat Robinson is talking about demons in clothing, and this idiot thinks the planet has only been around for 9,000 years. I am surprised there is no one claiming that the earth really is flat, we are still the Center of the Universe and it revolves around us.

awoke_in_2003

(34,582 posts)

40. Amazingly sad...

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #8)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:29 PM

Feb 2013

I have little hope for his country.

Dragonfli

(10,622 posts)

56. "I am surprised there is no one claiming that the earth really is flat" BUT SOME ARE

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #8)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 02:58 PM

Feb 2013

http://theflatearthsociety.org

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

57. Seriously ..

Reply to Dragonfli (Reply #56)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 03:02 PM

Feb 2013

I have heard of this group ..but I don't think they really believe it to be true. Aren't they really kind of like the Lions Club or Elks Club or something? With all the films from NASA over past decade.. I find it hard to believe that someone actually believes the earth is flat. If they really and truly do.. its just beyond ignorance.

on Edit.. I guess they do. What a strange planet we live on.

AlbertCat

(17,505 posts)

21. all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell

Reply to pampango (Reply #7)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:27 PM

Feb 2013

So... since the pit of hell is a lie...these "lies" are lies from a lie? Double negative.... So they're true!

Hey.... I can use just as absurd logic as he can.

GiveMeFreedom

(976 posts)

58. We should bow down to our overlords, repent, and eat well.

Reply to AlbertCat (Reply #21)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 07:20 PM

Feb 2013

Link to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: http://www.venganza.org/

on edit: added link for noodle brain church thingy.

FirstLight

(13,360 posts)

27. +1000!

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #6)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:44 PM

Feb 2013

still....500 million years is a seriously LONG time! wow!
thanks for sharing, this is so cool!

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

29. As I said down thread....

Reply to FirstLight (Reply #27)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:46 PM

Feb 2013

The only thing cooler is if it had been found on Mars.

DallasNE

(7,403 posts)

53. Our Solar System Formed Roughly 4.5 Billion Years Ago

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #29)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 02:19 PM

Feb 2013

Venus, Earth and Mars all had water at that time. This find pushes back the existence of life on Earth to at least 500 million years ago and this creature is well enough developed to make one think that first life began well before that. This does open the possibility that before Venus and Mars lost their water that primitive life forms could have formed on those planets as well provided temperatures were within a range that could support life formation. While Venus is too hostile for exploration today Mars certainly is not so you bring up a good point.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

55. I remember reading about a moon

Reply to DallasNE (Reply #53)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 02:25 PM

Feb 2013

Some place..(Neptune? Jupiter?) that has massive amounts of ice on it, that Scientists speculate life could be living under all of it.. especially if there are volcanic vents. Volcanic Vents that could warm the waters down near the bottom. Imagine if that were so, and life was teaming there, what it might be like. The mind reels!

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)

9. here is a better shot of that fossil

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:02 PM

Feb 2013

I hear it goes great with cocktail sauce

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

10. Y'a know...

Reply to Motown_Johnny (Reply #9)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:05 PM

Feb 2013

Your photo there might be a great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandson or grand daughter of the photo in the op.

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)

11. so might my facebook pic, or yours.....

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #10)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:07 PM

Feb 2013

caseymoz

(5,763 posts)

31. You'd need about 52 thousand volumes

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #10)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:50 PM

Feb 2013

. . . of greats to get close to accurate. That's with 100,000 greats per volume.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

33. I was using

Reply to caseymoz (Reply #31)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:51 PM

Feb 2013

Short hand.

caseymoz

(5,763 posts)

44. I thought of it as the digest. nt

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #33)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:43 PM

Feb 2013

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

46. So much alike!

Reply to caseymoz (Reply #44)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:46 PM

Feb 2013

We're Always thinking about FOOD!!

Myrina

(12,296 posts)

12. "may have used the limbs to push food into its mouth "

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:10 PM

Feb 2013

... I keep re-seeing that image of Marco Rubio in the Beer-Hat, for some reason .... Odd.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

14. or

Reply to Myrina (Reply #12)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:17 PM

Feb 2013

Rush Limbaugh... (or is it Rush Limbug?)

Myrina

(12,296 posts)

16. Rush always reminds me of Jabba the Hut

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #14)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:18 PM

Feb 2013

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

17. Do you think Jabba the Hut

Reply to Myrina (Reply #16)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:19 PM

Feb 2013

would be insulted to be called Rush Limbaugh?

Myrina

(12,296 posts)

18. LOL, I dunno ... they may be long lost twins ...

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #17)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:20 PM

Feb 2013

.... they certainly look and act the same ...

yellowcanine

(35,699 posts)

13. Yawn. Obviously died in old Noahy's flood 4,000 years ago so can't be that old.

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:13 PM

Feb 2013

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

15. Well its obvious that

Reply to yellowcanine (Reply #13)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:18 PM

Feb 2013

Noah didn't have Crawdads for dinner cause this one is still intact.

1-Old-Man

(2,667 posts)

19. Well, its clear that the creature walked with men, you can see the saddle marks on its back

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:21 PM

Feb 2013

and I believe that makes it, according to religious investigation, 6,000 or fewer years old.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

20. ooooh boy...

Reply to 1-Old-Man (Reply #19)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:24 PM

Feb 2013

slackmaster

(60,567 posts)

22. I recommmend "Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History" by Stephen Jay Gould

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:31 PM

Feb 2013

It describes the discovery, investigation, and significance of fossils of that kind found in the Burgess Shale in Canada.

http://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Life-Burgess-Nature-History/dp/039330700X

arcane1

(38,613 posts)

37. And anything else by Stephen Jay Gould, too!

Reply to slackmaster (Reply #22)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:07 PM

Feb 2013

He and Carl Sagan were the ones responsible for making me a science geek in my early 20's. I still miss being able to anticipate their new stuff

FSogol

(45,491 posts)

41. That's a good one, but I recommend:

Reply to slackmaster (Reply #22)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:36 PM

Feb 2013

"The Map That Changed the World: William Smith & the Birth of Modern Geology" by Simon Winchester.

eppur_se_muova

(36,271 posts)

42. Many of the Burgess creatures have been reexamined ...

Reply to slackmaster (Reply #22)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:38 PM

Feb 2013

http://www.amazon.com/Fossils-Burgess-Shale-Derek-Briggs/dp/156098659X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362071978&sr=1-2&keywords=burgess+shale

It turns out that the creatures were not crushed quite as flat as thought, but that some 3D structure was preserved -- further "excavation" of the fossils reveals many anatomical features not previously known. Unfortunately, I can't recall whether this was discussed in detail in this book, or in Conway Morris' "Crucibles of Creation" -- a more polemical and flawed book. Both are worth reading for factual material, but Conway Morris's arguments against Gould (and cryptic asides) may spoil his book for some.

MynameisBlarney

(2,979 posts)

23. I swear I think I read about this a year or so ago...

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:31 PM

Feb 2013

That pic looks awful familiar....

It's deja vu all over again.

iandhr

(6,852 posts)

24. really cool

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:36 PM

Feb 2013

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

26. isn't though??...but you know what would be cooler?

Reply to iandhr (Reply #24)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:41 PM

Feb 2013

If this thing had been found on Mars.

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

25. Classic...

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:41 PM

Feb 2013

thelordofhell

(4,569 posts)

28. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:45 PM

Feb 2013

ia!! ia!!

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

30. You said it !!!

Reply to thelordofhell (Reply #28)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:48 PM

Feb 2013

I too, could go for a Shrimp Chow Mein, myself!!

thelordofhell

(4,569 posts)

35. With a side of Kimchi

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Reply #30)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:58 PM

Feb 2013

Yummmmm...........

patrice

(47,992 posts)

51. Where's my Lovecraft de-coder ring?!!

Reply to thelordofhell (Reply #28)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 02:09 PM

Feb 2013

MynameisBlarney

(2,979 posts)

32. Also...

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:50 PM

Feb 2013

reminds of a certain scene from Beetlejuice.

arcane1

(38,613 posts)

34. Too cool! And cute, too!

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:58 PM

Feb 2013

My all-time favorite birthday gift was a fossilized trilobite, but this creature is much more adorable

MynameisBlarney

(2,979 posts)

36. I had fossilized fish

Reply to arcane1 (Reply #34)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:04 PM

Feb 2013

that was about 300 million years old.
Got it for xmas when I was but a weeeee lad.
Had it up until a few years ago, when it got destroyed whilst moving.

Liberalagogo

(1,770 posts)

47. Here's a pic of it in it's prime for a T-shirt:

Reply to arcane1 (Reply #34)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:47 PM

Feb 2013

go west young man

(4,856 posts)

38. There must be a second one

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:22 PM

Feb 2013

floating around on an ark somewhere.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

39. Noah donated it

Reply to go west young man (Reply #38)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:24 PM

Feb 2013

To the original owner of Red Lobster.

caseymoz

(5,763 posts)

43. It has a Dr. Seuss cartoon face.

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:42 PM

Feb 2013

That made me look it up on snopes. (Yes, it's real.) Anybody else see that? I can't un-see it.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)

45. So thats what happened to the Grinch!

Reply to caseymoz (Reply #43)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:44 PM

Feb 2013

He was deep sixed by the Whovians.

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

48. "More work of the Devil!"

Reply to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:49 PM

Feb 2013

As a fundamentalist Christian I know would say:

"This is just some more work of the Devil!"

I kid you not, his minister teaches that fossils were planted by the Devil, to fool and mislead those with weak faith in, "Ja-hee-sus!"

The fact this creature seems to have "horns" would undoubtedly be considered "Proof" of it's Satanic origin.