A Newfoundland fossil believed to be an ancient relative of modern sea anemones and jellyfish has the oldest muscular tissue yet discovered, scientists have said in a new study.
Dated to 560 million years ago, Haootia quadriformis likely secured itself on the ocean floor with a round disc linked to a sheet-like body by "fibrous bundles" that appear to be muscles, Live Science reported.
"It's a strange looking beast," said researcher Jack Matthews, an Oxford PhD candidate in geology, as quoted by the CBC. It looks a bit creepy. And 'haootia' is the Beothuk word for spirit or demon, so we thought we'd use that term."
Scientists have placed the unusual creature in the Ediacaran Period, which is dated between 635 million and 541 million years ago
"There had been molecular evidence that animals appeared early, [but] we've now got the actual fossils to work alongside that molecular evidence," Matthews said.
"And it's also the first example of muscular tissue preserved in the fossil record, which means that we now know these animals were moving, and they could react to their surroundings."
The research team members based their findings on the nature of the fibrous bundles' complexity and arrangement as well as their appearance of being contracted, all of which indicate that they are muscular.
Matthews said the find was unique from any other fossil discoveries unearthed in the area.
"Whereas everything else is what we call a frondose organism, this is completely different," he said. "And we believe we've interpreted that it is a Cnidarian, so, of a similar nature to modern jellyfish, and corals, and sea anemones."
Haootia quadriformis is vital for researchers who are trying to pinpoint when muscles appeared in the evolutionary timeline. All animals except sponges require muscles for movement, making their development extremely important.
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