evolution of
animals elucidated
trilobate death march
I like the words.
From the article titled. “Death march of a segmented and trilobate bilaterian elucidates early animal evolution” by Zhe Chen, Chuanming Zhou, Xunlai Yuan & Shuhai Xiao in
Nature (2019
I am not sure what it means.
The abstract, the quick overview, of the article is even worse.
“The origin of motility in bilaterian animals represents an evolutionary innovation that transformed the Earth system. This innovation probably occurred in the late Ediacaran period—as evidenced by an abundance of trace fossils (ichnofossils) dating to this time, which include trails, trackways and burrows. However, with few exceptions the producers of most of the late Ediacaran ichnofossils are unknown, which has resulted in a disconnection between the body- and trace-fossil records. Here we describe the fossil of a bilaterian of the terminal Ediacaran period (dating to 551–539 million years ago), which we name Yilingia spiciformis. This body fossil is preserved along with the trail that the animal produced during a death march. Yilingia is an elongate and segmented bilaterian with repetitive and trilobate body units, each of which consists of a central lobe and two posteriorly pointing lateral lobes, indicating body and segment polarity. Yilingia is possibly related to panarthropods or annelids, and sheds light on the origin of segmentation in bilaterians. As one of the few Ediacaran animals demonstrated to have produced long and continuous trails, Yilingia provides insights into the identity of the animals that were responsible for Ediacaran trace fossils.”
Spell check had a fit and threw up.
I think it means that fossils of yet un-identified creatures making their final movements before death, left trails, which indicates they were crawling.
This is fascinating.
The use of language is amazing.
I am reminded the extent to which any field quickly moves into a world of its own.
I accept their conclusions based on the evidence the scientists have availably to make these conclusions.
Nevertheless, I recognize the amount, for lack a better term, faith, it may take to accept this as fact.
For myself, it is just as much fact that: “And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.” Genesis 1:20-23 (NIV)
No Haiku For You 