Fossil of a 'strange' sea creature discovered
An artist's impression of what Orthrozanclus elongata might have looked like in life. Archaeologists in China have discovered a fossilized sea creature that they describe as "strange beyond measure", with long spines along its wormlike body and a shell that covers its head like a helmet. "The creature is like a mythical beast," Martin Smith, an assistant professor at Durham, told science news website Live Science. He said researchers were surprised by the creature's unusual anatomy, which had spines like cocktail sticks "that emerge from its sides" and a "head covered by a small shell, almost as if it's wearing a bike helmet". "Whereas many linages show evolutionary trends toward greater activity and complexity, brachiopods seem to have settled down to a sedentary existence, like a retiree settling down in a favorite armchair," Smith said.
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