December 26, 2015

Fossil of Waptia fieldensis

An article published in the journal “Current Biology” describes a research on Waptia fieldensis (photo ©Verisimilus), an arthropod that lived about 508 million years ago, during the Cambrian period. The analysis of fossils of this ancient creature shows the presence of eggs with embryos preserved inside them. These eggs were protected by the mother’s body showing the most ancient traces of offspring care found so far.