An explosion of life to match the Cambrian Age

[sovay]

Meanwhile, have a new fossil cephalopod: tiny, two-tentacled, jet-propelled. Nectocaris pteryx, which for some reason I had heard of (although I had not been previously aware of the term nektobenthonic; and am now resolved to drop it into the next conversation I can find). The original paper was published in Nature, for those who have a subscription. For those who do not, ask me.

To most people, molluscs are rather dull creatures: slugs, snails, clams, mussels and such, at times good for eating but otherwise uninteresting. Yet everyone harbours a fascination for cephalopods, which are also molluscs: the octopus, the chambered nautilus, the cuttlefish and the squid, not least the mythical giant Kraken that Alfred, Lord Tennyson pictured in "ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep" in the ocean abyss . . .

Comments

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

that is absolutely wonderful, makes you wonder of the possibilities of 3,4,5 & 6 tentacles animals...

[sovay]

makes you wonder of the possibilities of 3,4,5 & 6 tentacles animals...

Nautilus have something like ninety . . .

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

You probably read about it in Gould's Wonderful Life (or something similar), from back in the days when noone was sure whether it was an weird arthropod, a cousin of Pikaia, or some unknown phylum...

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

PS: Dialog this evening:

[Sovay's UnGodchild] : "D'aw a funny-llookin' o'topus!"
(This is a daily request)
[Schreiber] [draws]: "Here you go. His name is Nectocaris!"

[sovay]

[Schreiber] [draws]: "Here you go. His name is Nectocaris!"

I have done my part to better the world.

Also, your kid rocks.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

What a charming little creature!

[sovay]

What a charming little creature!

It has a questing look.

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

Hey, I've found all mollusks pretty fascinating since I was in the second grade. Must admit that this one seems cute.

[sovay]

Hey, I've found all mollusks pretty fascinating since I was in the second grade.

Well, ditto. Apparently you're ahead of the curve.

Must admit that this one seems cute.

I'm sure I'd have been scared of it if I were a comb jelly, but as things stand, it's adorable.

[eredien]

Yay! When I told rax about this she made the devil horns sign and I, laughing, said: "yeah, that's about what it looked like."

[sovay]

When I told rax about this she made the devil horns sign and I, laughing, said: "yeah, that's about what it looked like."

Hee.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

That is a cute cephalopod. Thanks for sharing!

[sovay]

Thanks for sharing!

Welcome. I wasn't going to tell people about a new (well, newly identified) fossil cephalopod?

[moon-custafer.livejournal.com]

'Nother win for the Burgess Shale!

[sovay]

'Nother win for the Burgess Shale!

I like that there turned out to be ninety other specimens, at which point it became obvious that it was not a shrimp.