Ancient Shrimp-Like Creature Has Oldest Known Circulatory System 35
sciencehabit (1205606) writes "A 520-million-year-old shrimp-like creature known as Fuxianhuia protensa has the oldest known cardiovascular system, researchers report. It was both modern and unsophisticated. A simple, tubelike heart was buried in the creature's belly — or thorax — and shot single blood vessels into the 20 or so segments of its primitive body. In contrast, x-ray scans of the specimen revealed profoundly intricate channels in the head and neck. The brain was well supplied with looping blood vessels, which extended branches into the arthropod's alienlike eyestalks and antennae and rivaled the complexity of today's crustaceans. From this Gordian architecture, the researchers can now speculate about the critter's lifestyle. Its brain required abundant oxygen, so it presumably did a fair amount of thinking."
Shouldn't this story... (Score:5, Funny)
...have been posted by nerval's lobster?
Re: (Score:2)
Sounds more like a Quetzalcoatl post.
I for one... (Score:1)
Welcome our shrimp overlords.
If it's not a Mantis (Score:1)
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If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck it's hard to tell anything else.
This specimen is in any case quite interesting because it do show that the general body layout was already defined that long ago. It also brings up the question of what did exist before this creature.
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It also brings up the question of what did exist before this creature.
Prawn crackers
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Also in this case did it taste like a shrimp?
Re:If it's not a Mantis (Score:5, Insightful)
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When I read "ancient shrimp-like creature has oldest known circulatory system," all I can think is Madonna.
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Just 'cause most humans are a waste of valuable oxygen molecules doesn't mean that this animal was.
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'Its brain required abundant oxygen, so it presumably did a fair amount of thinking.'
humans brains require abundant oxygen but most do not do a fair amount of thinking...
For example, anthropomorphizing ancient sea critters.
The answer to this is probably 'no' but (Score:1)
don't all animals have cardiovascular systems? I guess I haven't really thought about it before, but I just assumed that creatures like snails and spiders must have them too, otherwise how would they transport oxygen to their cells?
Re:The answer to this is probably 'no' but (Score:5, Informative)
Re:The answer to this is probably 'no' but (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The answer to this is probably 'no' but (Score:5, Interesting)
And this is one reason we don't see gigantic insects, quite aside from the usual argument that the square-cube law would make their limbs too thin to support their weight. It also means they would have to evolve better oxygen transport mechanisms.
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We used to. Sixty-odd million years ago. There was more oxygen in the air then.
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I wish I could see the dragonfly with the half-meter wingspan. Wonder what it sounded like. I understand there's someone working on a robotic version, but it wouldn't be the same.
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Thwump-thwump-thwump-thwump-thwump.
Re:Well, what with horseshow crabs? (Score:4, Informative)
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Horseshoe* crabs.
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203... [uwlax.edu]
Look under circulatory system.
Sure, they have circulatory systems, but has a fossil one been found where a circulatory system can be detected? I don't know.
It did "a whole lot of thinking"? (Score:2)
A primitive brain like that can't think.
Re:It did "a whole lot of thinking"? (Score:4, Funny)
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What an odd statement. Of course it's not going to be pondering the meaning of life or generating the guest list for an ambassadorial reception, but deciding whether the approaching snail is predator or prey is certainly thinking. So is deciding whether to move up or down in the water column to find a more comfortable temperature. It might not take a complex thought process, but it's still a thought process that comes to a conclusion.
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Exactly, it is doing things more complicated than a normal reflex.
A lot of primitive animals work on reflex. Either move towards or away from light. When touched grasp. A primitive brain can process things like when dark wait a while to see if is not something like a predator overhead. Avoid objects in the way. Very simple type of reasoning.
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Beta 1; it's the Cambrian, for Pete's sake!
Yes yes, science on this is all well/ good but... (Score:1)
How well would this shrimp-like creature taste fresh, cooked, and drenched in drawn butter??