The tiny, worm-like creature, named Saccorhytus coronarius, has a mouth, an anus and a gut — the basic features of all animals. It also has tiny spines that may have helped it move around on the ocean floor.
The fossil was found in the Chengjiang Biota, a fossil site in China that has yielded a wealth of information about the early evolution of animals. The site is thought to be a snapshot of life during the Cambrian explosion, a period of rapid evolution that occurred about 540 million years ago.
Saccorhytus is one of the oldest animals ever found. It is also one of the most primitive, suggesting that it may be close to the root of the animal tree of life.
The discovery of Saccorhytus has some implications. First, it suggests that animals evolved earlier than previously thought. Second, it provides new evidence for the theory that animals evolved from a single-celled ancestor. Third, it may help us to understand how the first animals evolved from their single-celled ancestors.
