this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2024

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Palaeontology 🦖

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Paleontology, also spelled palaeontology[a] or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossils to classify organisms and study their interactions with each other and their environments (their /c/paleoecology. Read more...

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121

'Giant' predator worms more than half a billion years old discovered in North Greenland (phys.org)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

24 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Fossils of a new group of animal predators have been located in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland. These large worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonized the water column more than 518 million years ago, revealing a past dynasty of predators that scientists didn't know existed.

The new fossil animals have been named Timorebestia, meaning 'terror beasts' in Latin. Adorned with fins down the sides of their body, a distinct head with long antennae, massive jaw structures inside their mouth, and growing to more than 30cm in length, these were some of the largest swimming animals in the Early Cambrian times.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The spice must flow

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

3rd day of 2024 and we're already finding out we're on Dune

[–] [email protected] 19 points 11 months ago

Where's Kevin Bacon when you need him?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 11 months ago (1 children)

30cm in length

[–] ikapoz 15 points 11 months ago (2 children)

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

Yeah. The quotes around 'giant' in the title aren't rated for carrying this much euphemism. They're going to collapse under the strain of our disappointment. I was promsied giant arctic worms, darn it. That's a CR13 monster in D&D!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Compounded by the lack of pictures in this article.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Nah, those are just Goa'uld from one of the many time travel episodes.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

At 30cm in length, I think you're right.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Ah bud, please. I already get nightmares.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Tremors got it right, huh?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

At 30cm in length, maybe on ant scale (ngl, I'd probably watch that movie lol)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

We have metre long earth worms near me, could throw some of them in.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

Fossils.

Fossils of a half-billion year old predator worm.

Not. Y'know. C'thulhu's Viking cousins.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

Lovecraft was right

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Greenland Bull Worm!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

It's big... scary... And pink!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

He who controls the spice controls the universe!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

"However, Timorebestia is a distant, but close, relative of living arrow worms, or chaetognaths.

Just say closest lmao

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Brutally blatant clickbait.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

It's called a tim'rous beastie? Damn it's a few weeks early for Burns' night

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

And those bitches are probably going to wake up when the tundra thaws!