535-mln-year-old creature may be earliest human ancestor: research

Source: Xinhua | January 31, 2017, Tuesday |

Online Edition

SCIENTISTS have discovered a tiny creature that dates back 535 million years and believe it may be the oldest known ancestor of a vast group of species, including humans.

The research was conducted by China's Northwest University, Cambridge University, and other institutions. The finding was published by "Nature" online Monday.

The animal is probably the oldest example of a category of creatures named deuterostomes that includes vertebrates.

Saccorhytus, about a millimeter in size, was found in Cambrian fossils from northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Its bag-like body has a prominent mouth but no anus. Several lateral openings probably served to expel water and waste materials.

The finding suggests that a key step in deuterostome evolution was the development of these lateral openings that subsequently became gills.

Shu Degan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an author of the paper, said deuterostomes dating back 520 million years were around a centimeter in size, so must had evolved from smaller ancestors.

"There were the tiny creatures first, then came primitive fish, and eventually humans," Shu said.

Nation

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

535-mln-year-old creature may be earliest human ancestor: research

Email this to your friend