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520-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Arthropod Ancestry Secrets

12/9/2025

Summary

Story summary

Scientists at the University of Durham discovered a 520-million-year-old fossil Youti yuanshi with preserved internal organs in China.
The fossil links to arthropods such as crabs and spiders, offering insight into their ancestors.
Advanced scanning produced three-dimensional images of Youti yuanshi’s brain, digestive glands, and circulatory system, per Dr. Martin Smith of the University of Durham.
The fossil is housed at Yunnan University, potentially tracing the development of modern arthropods.

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Story summary

Scientists at the University of Durham discovered a 520-million-year-old fossil Youti yuanshi with preserved internal organs in China.
The fossil links to arthropods such as crabs and spiders, offering insight into their ancestors.
Advanced scanning produced three-dimensional images of Youti yuanshi’s brain, digestive glands, and circulatory system, per Dr. Martin Smith of the University of Durham.
The fossil is housed at Yunnan University, potentially tracing the development of modern arthropods.