It's believed to be the world's earliest animal predator
Nottinghamshire scientists have discovered a 560-million-year-old fossil believed to be the world's earliest animal predator. Researchers at the British Geological Survey , based in Keyworth, identified the specimen, which is related to the group that includes corals, jellyfish and anemones, as the first of its kind.
It was generally thought that modern groups such as jellyfish appeared 540 million years ago. But the fossil, which was uncovered by BGS in Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, in 2007, predates that by 20 million years.It is also believed to be the earliest creature to have a skeleton. "Most other fossils from this time have extinct body plans and it’s not clear how they are related to living animals," said Dr Frankie Dunn, of Oxford University, who carried out the study.
Mr Attenborough said he was "truly delighted" to have the fossil named after himself. "When I was at school in Leicester I was an ardent fossil hunter," he reminisced.
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