Three-Eyed Cambrian Predator Rewrites Early Evolution
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A newly discovered Cambrian creature, Mosura fentoni, is challenging our understanding of early animal evolution. This three-eyed, clawed predator, about finger-sized, is a radiodont with a unique tail-like structure of 16 segmented gills. Unlike its larger relatives, these gills were likely unsuitable for propulsion. The well-preserved fossils, from Canada's Burgess Shale, reveal internal anatomy including nerve tissue, eye structures, and a circulatory system. Mosura's unusual features suggest it may have inhabited low-oxygen environments. Its discovery highlights the ongoing revelations from the Burgess Shale.
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