Bizarre Three-Eyed Predator Hunted The Ocean Half a Billion Years Ago
Mosura fentoni possessed three eyes, grasped its prey with spiny claws, ate with a circular, tooth-lined maw, swam with the aid of flippers that lined either side of its body, and had 26 body segments – more than any other radiodont, the extinct group of animals to which it belonged.
Luckily, it would only have been about as long as your finger – most things back then were pretty small. But its segmented tail end has fascinated paleontologists Joe Moysiuk of the Manitoba Museum and Jean-Bernard Caron of the Royal Ontario Museum, who characterized the strange beastie from its fossilized remains in the famous Burgess Shale.
They named Mosura for its resemblance to a moth, even though the relationship is distant and tenuous.
"Mosura has 16 tightly packed segments lined with gills at the rear end of its body," Moysiuk explains. "This is a neat example of evolutionary convergence with modern groups, like horseshoe crabs, woodlice, and insects, which share a batch of segments bearing respiratory organs at the rear of the body."
The oceans of Earth's Cambrian period, between around 539 and 487 million years ago, were a different place than our planet today. That was when life really took off, and the ocean started to thrive.
We don't have many records of that time, but the Burgess Shale is, really, if we're being completely frank, a marvel of fossil preservation. It formed around 508 million years ago, when silty mud flowed across the seafloor, trapping and preserving a large number of organisms as it went.
That mud became a fossil bed known as a Lagerstätte, so exceptional that fine details, soft tissue, and even internal structures were captured in the sediment. It revealed a rich ecosystem filled with mysterious creatures so bizarre that we've often been left baffled and wrong about their anatomy.
In this environment lived the radiodonts, a group of animals that shared a common ancestor with arthropods, but has since gone extinct. This group includes the famous Anomalocaris, a fearsome beast that could have grown up to a meter long. That might not seem very large to us, but back then, when most things were small, it was a giant.
Mosura was not a giant, but it was one-of-a-kind, at least as far as we know. Moysiuk and Caron studied 61 fossilized individuals of the species, and characterized it in detail.
"Very few fossil sites in the world offer this level of insight into soft internal anatomy," Caron says. "We can see traces representing bundles of nerves in the eyes that would have been involved in image processing, just like in living arthropods. The details are astounding."
Of particular interest was the animal's circulatory system. It did not involve veins, as the circulatory systems of vertebrates do, but was instead open, like the circulation of modern arthropods. In crabs, spiders, insects, and other arthropods, the heart simply pumps blood (or hemolymph) into cavities in their bodies, where it swirls around their organs to perform its function.
In Mosura, these cavities are called lacunae. They filled the creature's body, and extended into the swimming flaps that extended from each segment, visible as reflective patches in the fossils.
"The well-preserved lacunae of the circulatory system in Mosura help us to interpret similar, but less clear features that we've seen before in other fossils. Their identity has been controversial," Moysiuk says. "It turns out that preservation of these structures is widespread, confirming the ancient origin of this type of circulatory system."
As for its strange, powerful respiratory system at the rear end of its body, its specialized structure suggests Mosura may have had unique needs. Perhaps its habitat was different from that of other radiodonts, or maybe its hunting methods required enhanced respiratory functions.
This is one of those questions that is impossible to answer without more information. However, Mosura is a beautiful example of the strategies life adopts to thrive according to circumstance.
"Radiodonts were the first group of arthropods to branch out in the evolutionary tree, so they provide key insight into ancestral traits for the entire group," Caron says. "The new species emphasizes that these early arthropods were already surprisingly diverse and were adapting in a comparable way to their distant modern relatives."
The research has been published in Royal Society Open Science.
Earth's Rotation Is Slowing Down, And It Might Explain Why We Have Oxygen
New Jersey Hawk Develops Clever Hunting Strategy Using Traffic Signals
Your Sensitive Teeth May Exist So Ancient Fish Could Avoid Danger
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Close encounter with great white shark near Halifax sparks awe, disbelief
A Dalhousie University student studying marine biology is sharing a breathtaking photo of a great white shark she took while on a recent research expedition off the coast of Halifax. Geraldine Fernandez snapped the picture Wednesday from a cage atop a boat operated by Atlantic Shark Expeditions near Sambro, a rural fishing community in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The male shark can be seen rising out of the water, staring almost directly at the camera, with his mouth agape and his teeth showing. For some, the image may be menacing. But for Fernandez, who is studying to become a shark biologist, coming up close and personal with the shark was closer to love at first bite. "The whole interaction was [one of] the most elegant, graceful and natural interactions that I have personally ever had with a shark," she said Friday in an interview with CBC's Mainstreet Halifax. "It was able to show its size and its power without even doing anything. "People think they're these mindless animals that just attack, and, honestly, all it was doing was checking out the people, being a little curious, and I just got really lucky that day." 'Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' When the image was shared on social media, many of the people commenting thought it had to be the product of artificial intelligence. But it came from a camera that Fernandez had attached to a pole. The shark was being monitored from a cage above, where she was stationed, and by divers underwater. "This encounter was extremely unique," said Neil Hammerschlag, the founder and president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions. His company regularly works with researchers like Fernandez. It also offers shark tours for civilians in Halifax and Yarmouth at various times of the year. "The other great whites we've seen this season, and there's been a handful of them, they've all been really cautious," Hammerschlag said. "This one stuck around for hours, they had no interest in the bait … was more interested in looking at the cage, rubbing up against the cage … and looking at what people were doing on the boat." Fernandez has been obsessed with sharks since she was young. As a summer research student with Dalhousie's Future of Marine Ecosystems Lab, she's been collecting data for a new method of monitoring sharks, which involves using a tool called a "shark bar" to measure the size of sharks in the water. Her close encounter with the great white shark is more proof she's on the right track. "It definitely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she said. "All it's done is just put more drive in me to continue my research and continue with shark exploration." MORE TOP STORIES
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Massive Earthquake Could Strike Canada as Ancient Fault Line Wakes
The Tintina fault stretches 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) across northern Canada, crossing the Yukon and ending in Alaska. The fault is thought to have been dormant for 40 million years, but that thinking is challenged by a new study that suggests a major earthquake may be imminent. Researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of Alberta in Canada have spotted signs of two relatively recent groups of earthquakes that significantly shifted the ground: one 2.6 million years ago and one 132,000 years ago. What's more, the team found no evidence of notable earthquakes within the last 12,000 years. That quiet period could actually a warning; based on calculations that the fault is shifting and building up pressure at the rate of 0.2–0.8 millimeters (0.008–0.03 inches) per year, it means a major quake may be imminent. Related: "Over the past couple of decades there have been a few small earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 4 detected along the Tintina fault, but nothing to suggest it is capable of large ruptures," says geologist Theron Finley from the University of Victoria. "The expanding availability of high-resolution data prompted us to re-examine the fault, looking for evidence of prehistoric earthquakes in the landscape." Using a combination of the latest high-resolution satellite imagery and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology – measuring laser light reflections to assess terrain levels – the team carried out a fresh look at the Tintina fault. This close analysis helped reveal narrow surface ruptures that are usually well concealed by Canada's forested wilderness. This turned up fault scarps (offsets in the ground surface called 'slips') pointing to past earthquakes, but nothing in the recent geological past. Based on the calculations of the researchers, the fault should have slipped around 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) in that time, but hasn't. When that pressure is eventually released, it could mean an earthquake with a magnitude of more than 7.5. "The Tintina fault therefore represents an important, previously unrecognized, seismic hazard to the region," write the researchers in their published paper. "If 12,000 years or more have elapsed since the last major earthquake, the fault may be at an advanced stage of strain accumulation." This isn't the most populated part of the world, but lives are still in danger – including in nearby Dawson City, home to 1,600 people. Damage to infrastructure and ecosystems also needs to be considered. The researchers want to see further studies of the Tintina fault – and other faults like it – to better figure out the chances of it triggering an earthquake in the future. The more data experts have about historical seismic activity in the area, the better the computer models will be at predicting future events. "Further paleoseismic investigations are required to determine the recurrence intervals between past earthquakes, and whether slip rates have changed through time due to shifts in tectonic regime, or glacial isostatic adjustment," write the researchers. The research has been published in Geophysical Research Letters. Related News Surprising Study Finds Potatoes Evolved From Tomato Ancestor Giant Wave in Pacific Ocean Was The Most Extreme 'Rogue Wave' Ever Recorded Mind-Blowing Discovery: Peacocks Have Lasers In Their Tails
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
B.C. climate news: Crews battle 147 wildfires in B.C. Trump cancels plans for offshore wind projects
Here's the latest news concerning climate change and biodiversity loss in B.C. and around the world, from the steps leaders are taking to address the problems, to all the up-to-date science. Check back every Saturday for more climate and environmental news or sign up for our Climate Connected newsletter In climate news this week: • Crews battle 147 wildfires in B.C., with 41 new fires overnight Friday • With fires burning across B.C., is it safe to continue with travel plans? • Alberta heat wave brings added wildfire risk • Trump administration cancels plans to develop new offshore wind projects Human activities like burning fossil fuels and farming livestock are the main drivers of climate change, according to the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change. This causes heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere, increasing the planet's surface temperature. The panel, which is made up of scientists from around the world, including researchers from B.C., has warned for decades that wildfires and severe weather, such as the province's deadly heat dome and catastrophic flooding in 2021, would become more frequent and intense because of the climate emergency. It has issued a code red for humanity and warns the window to limit warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial times is closing. According to NASA climate scientists, human activities have raised the atmosphere's carbon dioxide content by 50 per cent in less than 200 years, and 'there is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate.' As of July 14, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 429.61 ppm, slightly down from 430.51 ppm last month, according to NOAA data measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory, a global atmosphere monitoring lab in Hawaii. The NOAA notes there has been a steady rise in CO2 from under 320 ppm in 1960. Climate change quick facts: • The Earth is now about 1.3 C warmer than it was in the 1800s. • 2024 was hottest year on record globally, beating the record in 2023. • The global average temperature in 2023 reached 1.48 C higher than the pre-industrial average, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. In 2024, it breached the 1.5 C threshold at 1.55 C. • The past 10 years (2015-2024) are the 10 warmest on record. • Human activities have raised atmospheric concentrations of CO2 by nearly 49 per cent above pre-industrial levels starting in 1850. • The world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement target to keep global temperature from exceeding 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, the upper limit to avoid the worst fallout from climate change including sea level rise, and more intense drought, heat waves and wildfires. • On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, the temperature could increase by as much 3.6 C this century, according to the IPCC. • In June 2025, global concentrations of carbon dioxide exceeded 430 parts per million, a record high. • Emissions must drop 7.6 per cent per year from 2020 to 2030 to keep temperatures from exceeding 1.5 C and 2.7 per cent per year to stay below 2 C. • There is global scientific consensus that the climate is warming and that humans are the cause. (Sources: United Nations IPCC, World Meteorological Organization, UNEP, NASA, Latest News Number of active wildfires in B.C. jumps to 147 Firefighters in B.C. are gearing up for a busy long weekend, as the number of active wildfires jumped to 120 Friday, up from 90 on Thursday. Much of the province is parched from continuing hot and dry conditions. Although heat warnings have been lifted for parts of the B.C. Interior such as the Okanagan and Fraser Canyon, temperatures are still expected to be in the low-to-mid 30s, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Heat warnings remained in effect Friday for Fort Nelson, and the North and South Peace regions. Lytton is under an air quality alert because of the wildfire smoke. Meantime, The wildfire near Peachland that forced hundreds of residents to quickly evacuated their homes just days ago is no longer out of control and the evacuation order has been lifted for all residents. On Vancouver Island, an evacuation order was issued for properties in the Nanaimo region including waterfront properties on the north side of Cameron Lake and a portion of Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. The Wesley Ridge wildfire, which is burning on the north side of Cameron Lake, is considered out of control and has grown to 2.45 square kilometres from 0.2 sq. km. on Thursday. The Nanaimo Regional District on Vancouver Island declared a state of local emergency because of the fire, about 60 kilometres from the City of Nanaimo. Read more on the wildfire situation here. —Tiffany Crawford, The Canadian Press With fires burning across B.C., is it safe to continue with travel plans? If there were a weekend that could be described as peak summer in B.C., this would be it. Local vacation destinations see a surge of visitors as the cities empty out a little. But with forest fires raging across the province, is it advisable to travel? 'The August long weekend feels like the height of summer for us,' says Ellen Walker-Matthews, CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, where a wildfire is burning near Peachland. 'We welcome people to continue with their plans.' The patio at Bliss Bakery in Peachland was busy on Thursday, said owner Barry Yeo. Guests enjoyed baked goods and a water show as helicopters picked up buckets of water from the lake. The bakery has a strong customer base, but business triples in the summer months, he said. 'It should be business as usual this weekend,' he said. Harrison Hot Springs is also open despite a wildfire burning about 20 kilometres away on the eastern shore of Harrison Lake. 'The village and the resort are very much open,' said Erinn Kredba, interim executive-director of Tourism Harrison River Valley. 'This is a long weekend and businesses still need people to come.' Read the full story here. —Glenda Luymes Alberta heat wave brings added wildfire risk With Edmonton and most of north and central Alberta under heat warnings from Environment Canada, Alberta Wildfire officials enter the long weekend on pins and needles. With daytime temperatures expected to exceed 30 C until a predicted break on Sunday, conditions are all too perfect for the ignition and spread of wildfire. And, it's the long weekend, when many Albertans and visitors to this province will be pitching tents and gathering around campfires. 'The hot weather is driving up the fire danger in most of the province,' said Josee St-Onge, an information officer at Alberta Wildfire. She said the only regions not under increased risk are parts of southern Alberta that have recently received a lot of rain, and the Rocky Mountain region. Not only does the hot weather increase the risk of fires starting, it provides optimum conditions for existing blazes to spread. There are currently 53 wildfires burning in Alberta, 11 of them rated as 'out of control.' —Edmonton Journal Trump administration cancels plans to develop new offshore wind projects The Trump administration is cancelling plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development, the latest step to suppress the industry in the United States. More than 3.5 million acres had been designated wind energy areas, the offshore locations deemed most suitable for wind energy development. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is now rescinding all designated wind energy areas in federal waters, announcing on Wednesday an end to setting aside large areas for 'speculative wind development.' Offshore wind lease sales were anticipated off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Maine, New York, California and Oregon, as well as in the central Atlantic. The Biden administration last year had announced a five-year schedule to lease federal offshore tracts for wind energy production. Trump began reversing the country's energy policies after taking office in January. A series of executive orders took aim at increasing oil, gas and coal production. The Republican president has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. One early executive order temporarily halted offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and paused the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. In trying to make a case against wind energy, he has relied on false and misleading claims about the use of wind power in the U.S. and around the world. Read the full story here. —The Associated Press How Trump-vetted scientists are trying to shred the climate consensus A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy says projections of future global warming are exaggerated, while benefits from higher levels of carbon dioxide such as more productive farms are overlooked. It concludes, at odds with the scientific mainstream, that policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions risk doing more harm than good. Released Tuesday, the report is part of an effort by the Trump administration to try to end the U.S. government's authority to regulate greenhouse gases. It's the output of scientists known for contradicting the consensus embodied in volumes of research by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose work is approved by virtually every nation. Publishing an alternate approach to the science of global warming on the same day that the Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to revoke the endangerment finding — a determination that greenhouse gases harm public health and welfare — marks a step up in the administration's war on regulations. Since its adoption in 2009, the endangerment finding has become the bedrock of many US environmental rules. Climate experts say it will hobble the country's efforts to rein in rising temperatures and lessen the impacts, such as more intense storms, droughts and wildfires. The federal government's own research shows climate-fuelled extreme weather is already causing $150 billion in losses a year in the U.S. Read the full story here. —Bloomberg News City of Ottawa four years behind in releasing greenhouse gas emissions reports The City of Ottawa is four years behind in releasing greenhouse gas emissions reports and environment groups are left wondering just how much fossil fuels the city burns. Usually, the city releases public reports tracking the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced within Ottawa, but the last report was released for the 2020 emissions inventory findings. That 2020 report said community emissions had decreased 15 per cent since 2012, but a further reduction of five to six per cent would be needed to meet Ottawa's climate targets in the next five to 10 years. Angela Keller-Herzog, executive director of the local environmental activist group CAFES Ottawa, says the city has a commitment to make those reports to the public. 'It's really important for countries and cities to be tracking their greenhouse gas emissions,' she said. 'If we're going to do something about the problem, we need to figure out where our emissions are coming from. 'Unfortunately, in the last few years, the city has been somewhat neglectful.' Read the full story here. —Ottawa Citizen High in India's Himalayan mountains, yak herders struggle to survive a warming world Carrying her one-year-old son on her back, Tsering Dolma herds a dozen yaks into a stonewalled corral as evening approaches in the desolate mountains of India's remote Ladakh region. A few herders tending livestock are the only people visible for miles on the windswept plains where patchy grass gives way to gravelly foothills and stony peaks. For generations, herders such as Dolma have relied on snowmelt that trickled down the mountain folds to sustain the high-altitude pastures where their herds graze. But now, herders say, the snow and rain are less predictable, and there is less grass for yaks to eat. 'Earlier, it used to snow and rain, but now it has reduced a lot,' the 32-year-old says. 'Even the winters are getting warmer than before.' Much of the herding, milking and gathering of wool is done by women in Ladakh, an area near Tibet that was part of the ancient Silk Route. It's work mostly done by hand. In another valley, Kunzias Dolma is busy making tea with yak milk and checking her yak butter, while spinning her Buddhist prayer wheel with her right hand. The 73-year-old, who's not related to Tsering Dolma, has spent her life around yaks, working long hours to make products from their milk and sewing blankets from their wool. But that way of life is threatened as climate change makes Ladakh less hospitable to yaks and many in the younger generation seek other jobs. Read the full story here. —The Associated Press Related B.C. Wildfires 2025: Lytton blaze triples in size | Evacuations as wildfire in Peachland spreads | Haze settles over Metro Vancouver Report warns new housing in B.C. high-risk zones could cost billions in damages Arctic plants adapting to climate change faster than scientists thought: study