The Cambrian Explosion’s Strange-Looking Poster Child

Post date: Aug 5, 2015 11:40:43 AM

July 2, 2015

The Cambrian Explosion’s Strange-Looking Poster Child

By CARL ZIMMER

For years, scientists struggled to explain the mysteries of a worm named Hallucigenia,

but two new studies explain some of its quirks, and found it some cousins.

A fossil of Collinsium ciliosum, which had 30 limbs, and 72 spikes on its back. Credit Jie Yang

A velvet worm. Scientists concluded that Hallucigenia and its relatives are the ancestors of this species.

Credit Dr. Morley Read/Science Source