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Scientists discovered a new Cambrian sea creature named Mosura fentoni in Canada's Burgess Shale.
M. fentoni breaks some rules about what radiodonts were thought to be like.
Mosura fentoni
It is a radiodont, distantly related to insects, crabs, and spiders.
Despite being small (1.5–6 cm), it was a specialised swimmer with an advanced breathing system.
Its body had 26 segments divided into three parts: a short neck and head, a mid-section with swimming flaps, and a rear section with gills.
The rear zone (posterotrunk) was likely used mainly for breathing, similar to horseshoe crab tails.
The creature’s body design suggests that even early radiodonts were already evolving complex, divided body plans.
This specialisation may have been the early step in the evolution of highly diverse arthropods like crabs and insects.
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