Scientists have found fossils of a new group of predators in northern Greenland. These animals, called Timorpestia – or “horror monsters” in Latin, may have been the first carnivores to colonize the region, more than 518 million years ago.
They are believed to have lived during the Cambrian period. “Timorbestia was a giant in its time and was near the top of the food chain. This makes it equivalent in importance to some of the major carnivores in modern oceans, such as sharks and seals,” explained Jacob Vinther, the study's author.
The research results were published in the magazine Advancement of science And show the complexity of ancient food chains.
Timorbestia
Overall, the fossil allowed scientists to learn about this new class of marine animals. According to the study, they have fins on both sides of their bodies, a head with long antennae and massive jaw structures.
Moreover, their length can reach more than 30 cm. Thus, it was one of the largest swimming animals of the Cambrian period.
(Image: Jacob Vinther/University of Bristol/Reproduction)
Analysis of the fossils also allowed us to find the remains of another marine animal within the fossilized digestive system of Timorbestia. According to the researchers, the prey was a common marine arthropod called isosuchus.
Relatives of arrowworms
According to researchers, Timorbestia are distant relatives of Worms-Arrow, also known as Chaetognathus. Arrowworm fossils are among the oldest dating back to the Cambrian Period, at about 538 million years old.
Timorbestia suggests they lived between approximately 521 and 529 million years ago.
“We can assume that both were, most likely, predators that dominated the oceans before the appearance of arthropods. They probably had a lineage for 10 to 15 million years before they were replaced by other, more successful groups,” Venter said.
However, unlike Timorbestia, it was not a carnivore. Rather, they are much smaller marine predators that feed on zooplankton. Thus, arrowworms have bristles on their heads, suitable for capturing prey, while Timorbestia have jaws.
But there are also similarities: The researchers found a preserved nerve center in Timorpestia's abdomen, called the celiac ganglion. Live arrowworms have this system as well.
Therefore, experts believe that the discovery establishes how Worms They evolved and allow us to understand where today's predators that have jaws came from.
According to the study, this fossil helps link related organisms, but today it looks completely different.
“Friendly zombie fanatic. Analyst. Coffee buff. Professional music specialist. Communicator.”
