Humans' Earliest Known Ancestor May Have Been Tiny ... And Terrifying
The newly discovered creature is called saccorhytus and looks like something from an "Alien" film.
Humans' Earliest Known Ancestor May Have Been Tiny ... And Terrifying
University of Cambridge
February 2, 2017
If we go all the way back in your family tree, hundreds of millions of years before Homo sapiens got their start, our earliest known ancestor might have looked like something from the movie "Alien."
Researchers say they've found evidence of humans' earliest known ancestor — a millimeter-long, bag-like creature called saccorhytus.
Fossils from China showed saccorhytus likely got around by wriggling and had a mouth that could expand to engulf larger prey. It lived in shallow seabeds 540 million years ago.
Of course, there are a lot of evolutionary steps between you and saccorhytus.
The creature is thought to be the most primitive example of a deuterostome –– a biological category that led to fish with spines, which eventually led to humans.
Residents sue Louisiana parish to halt polluting plants
The lawsuit says the St. James Parish council approved the construction of several factories that emit harmful amounts of toxic chemicals.
AI discovers potential new cancer treatment in just 30 days
Researchers from the Univ. of Toronto and Insilico Medicine used an AI-powered database to create a drug that could potentially treat liver cancer.
Mountain lion claws man sitting in hot tub
A couple was sitting in a hot tub when they said a mountain lion clawed at the man's head.
Top Stories
7:22
What's so important about microchips?
The simple answer: as we’ve become more and more reliant on microchips they’ve simultaneously gotten harder to manufacture.
Gwyneth Paltrow's legal team pushes back on Utah ski accident claims
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is in court in Park City, Utah -- she is accused in a lawsuit of crashing into another skier in 2016.
2:59
Women are celebrating women who serve a common goal
A group of women in Atlanta are celebrating women who make a difference and work toward inclusivity and diversity.
