The oldest examples of swimming jellyfish, which lived in Earth’s oceans 505 million years ago, have been discovered high within the Canadian Rockies. Researchers found 182 fossils encased within the rock of the famed Burgess Shale fossil site.
The fossils belong to a previously unknown species of jellyfish, called Burgessomedusa phasmiformis, that shows just how evolved these creatures already were millions of years ago.
The exceptionally well-preserved fossils are a remarkable find, given that the soft-bodied animals are made of 95% water. The jellyfish measure about 8 inches (20 centimeters) in length.
A study detailing the findings was published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Jellyfish are medusozoans, or animals with an umbrella-shaped body and stinging tentacles, like the mythical snake-haired Medusa. Medusozoans, corals and sea anemones fall under a larger group called Cnidaria, one of the oldest groups of animals to exist on the planet.
Cnidarians can have different body forms within their life cycle, including a polyp, which is shaped like a vase and usually attached to something like the seafloor.
Source: CNN
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