3D laser scan of the specimen, Uncus dzaugisi
Mary L. Droser
A worm-like creature preserved in historical rock has simply been recognized because the oldest identified relative of bugs, spiders and crustaceans.
The ecdysozoans are a gaggle of invertebrate animals with a troublesome outer coating, or cuticle, that they moult as they develop. It’s clearly a profitable evolutionary technique, as a result of at the moment the group comprises thousands and thousands of species. “Some estimates suggests that about half of all known animal species are ecdysozoans,” says Ian Hughes at Harvard College. All arthropods – together with bugs and spiders – belong to the group, and so do …
