A fossil discovered in 2007 in Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, England, has been determined to be a sea creature that used tentacles to hunt for food. It is dated to 560 million years ago, which makes it 20 million years older than the previously-known oldest predator. It is also the earliest fossil with a skeleton. The new species has been named Auroralumina attenboroughii, in honor of Sir David Attenborough, who himself had hunted for fossils in Charnwood Forest as a boy. The genus Auroralumina is Latin for "dawn lantern."
Auroralumina attenboroughii has been classified into a group that includes jellyfish and sea anemones. Those were once thought to have originated with the Cambrian explosion, which occurred millions of years after this new species is now known to have existed. This discovery will cause paleontologists to reconfigure those animals' family trees.
David Attenborough was tickled to learn of the species name, as he has fond memories of his expeditions into Charnwood Forest. The naturalist and TV host has already seen 40 species named for him. Read more about Auroralumina attenboroughii at the Guardian. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: British Geological Survey/UKRI/PA)
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