The animal with 50 living parts 550 million years ago could decipher the secret of life

A 550 million-year-old fossil worm found on the banks of the Yangtze River, west of Hubei province, China, may be the first creature on Earth to move .

According to the Mirror, this 550 million year old worm could reveal how life on Earth began to move. This creature is considered to be the first life form that moves during evolution.

The worm found on the banks of the Truong Giang River can grow to a length of 10cm and a width of 1-2.5cm. This creature moves by moving the whole body below the sea floor.

This creature has 50 body parts, with the left and right parts, back, abdomen, head and tail. Traces of their movement were found through ancient fossils.

550 million year old fossils are found in China

The team also found the worm's final movement before it became a fossil, which researchers called a 'death journey'.

Such creatures have made great strides in evolution, bringing Earth into the booming period of the Cambrian period, 540 million years ago.

Study co-author Professor Shuhai Xiao said: 'This discovery shows the evolution of species from 550 million years ago. Their tracks are unmistakable. '

This worm is one of the first life forms that move on Earth.

Professor Rachel Wood, a geologist not involved in the study, said this was a very significant finding.'We have evidence of early primates that were able to move below the sea floor. The preserved traces to this day are significant and contribute to revealing an important step in the evolution of animals'.

1. The mysterious 550 million year old creature reveals the strange evolutionary process on Earth