Around 500 million years ago, the arthropod Odaraia alata lived with a peculiar anatomy, including 30 pairs of spiny limbs hidden inside a protective shell. Its discovery sheds light on the development of mandibles in creatures like insects.
The well-preserved Odaraia fossil found in the Burgess Shale site was reexamined, leading to insights into the creature's role in the Cambrian explosion and potential contribution to the prominence of mandible-bearing organisms.
#odaraia-alata #cambrian-explosion #mandible-evolution #burgess-shale-fossil-site #arthropod-anatomy
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