520-Million-Year-Old Sea Monster Unearthed

[Still Waters]

A spectacularly well-preserved sea monster that once prowled the oceans during the Cambrian Period has been unearthed in China.

The 520-million-year-old creature, one of the first predators of its day, sported compound eyes, body armor and two spiky claws for grabbing prey.

http://www.livescien...rved-brain.html

[bubblykiss]

Sure glad I live in a atomic age filled with little wars, failed states and terrorism instead of the terrifying Cambrian Period where life was developing things like eyes, claws and body armor.

[DefenceMinisterMishkin]

I would still have one as a pet..

[Wickian]

Sure glad I live in a atomic age filled with little wars, failed states and terrorism instead of the terrifying Cambrian Period where life was developing things like eyes, claws and body armor.

Don't forget about hinged jaws.

[Mr. ET]

Would make a great design for a Godzilla flick.

[DefenceMinisterMishkin]

[magikgoddess]

Freaky critter. It's amazing that part of it's brain & some of it's nervous system was still well defined in the fossilization process (I wonder if it may provide new insights)... I still wouldn't want to encounter one even if it's only 1/2 foot long (ewwww).

[Xanthurion2]

Looks like something from a video game or anime.

[Aardvark-DK]

I breed fresh water shrimps, that one would be cool to add to my collection

Edited July 20, 2014 by Aardvark-DK

[qxcontinuum]

450 millions year is too long, too much time. It is impossible!

[Harte]

Drawn butter.

Harte

[paperdyer]

450 millions year is too long, too much time. It is impossible!

And you say that, why? Please give your reasoning.

[qxcontinuum]

And you say that, why? Please give your reasoning.

Because they are not dating the exact samples found, they simply would simply assign the age to the layer where the fossil was discovered is claimed to be . Another method is dating the layer where they found the fossil. However, what often happens is that the various methods they use (Uranium-Lead, Potassium-Argon, Rubidium-Strontium, etc.) would provide different year range results, i find this funny but it is true. Here is where simply they will pick or change the most appropriate year range result to their believes.

Disappointed?

Don't say you believe they are just throwing the samples in some machines pushing a button and the years would be display on a screen. Doesn't work like that ! In fact it doesn't work at all... It is mostly guessing and interpretation of other geological data.

Edited July 22, 2014 by qxcontinuum

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

but you said it was "impossible". the fact that there are innacuracies to some of the dating systems we use does not mean that it is impossible for something to be 450 million years old. in fact, you still haven't actually given any reasoning as to why 450 million years is "too long", or even what you meant by that, exactly. too long for what?

[coolguy]

Great find, but is it really 520 million years old??

[qxcontinuum]

My impossible Remarque was just meant as impossible to determine for sure . Could have been as well 100 million or 1 million which is much already for a such fossil to be preserved.

[Harte]

Great find, but is it really 520 million years old??

Technically, not.

It's birthday is next week.

My impossible Remarque was just meant as impossible to determine for sure . Could have been as well 100 million or 1 million which is much already for a such fossil to be preserved.

Absurd. The Cambrian period is well known and has been studied in locations all over the world.

There is a question as to when the actual named period itself begins and ends, but there is no question of the dates of fossils found therin, other than ranges given by the dating methods.

You can be absolutely certain that this fossil is far older than 100 million years.

Unless you simply don't want to be certain, for whatever personal reasons.

Harte

Edited July 26, 2014 by Harte

[Atuke]

Breaded and dipped in a fine cocktail sauce or minuet to be exact...this would be a very tasty shrimp!