This fish-like creature could be an ancient human ancestor

A mysterious extinct creature that once baffled scientists has finally found its place in the tree of life.

This small, fish-like animal was named Palaeospondylus gunni. They were first discovered in fossils in Scotland in 1890, living about 390 million years ago, during the Devonian period.

This creature was named Palaeospondylus gunni.

Palaeospondylus gunni may be unexpectedly one of the oldest ancestors of tetrapods, including humans, based on similar structural features, according to a new analysis, scientists say. of them.

At first, scientists thought that Palaeospondylus looked like a tetraploid that hadn't fully developed into adulthood. That is, Palaeospondylus could completely follow a different evolutionary path.

However, Palaeospondylus and Sarcopterygians, a lobe-finned fish, both possess features similar to those found in later tetrapods.

Interestingly, in the skull of Palaeospondylus, the team found three curved canals, which they say may have evolved into the vertebrate inner ear and jaw.

The skull structure was reconstructed on a 3D image of the Palaeospondylus species.

Yuzhi Hu, a physicist at the Australian National University, says the strange animals have puzzled scientists since they were discovered in the 1890s. "We treat this species as a puzzle. hard to solve," Hu said.

It is known that the reason scientists have difficulty is because comparing the morphology of this animal is always an extremely difficult challenge, based on surviving specimens.

However, recent improvements in segmentation and high-resolution 3D image processing have made the previously impossible task a reality. At this time, having a well-preserved specimen in hand will help speed up the research process and discover the origin of the organism.

Going forward, the researchers say they will continue to investigate the creature, to further confirm its place in the animal's family tree.