Paradox Worm' Xenoturbella Bocki Lacks Brain & Sex Organs, But Could Be Mankind's 'Progenito

Photo courtesy of sciencedaily.com

The article “’Paradox Worm' Xenoturbella Bocki Lacks Brain & Sex Organs, But Could Be Mankind's 'Progenitor'” by Andres Jauregui of Huffington Post, describes the high possibility that a paradox worm can be more related to humans that many other more advanced organisms. This organism might belong to a branch of the animal family tree called deuterostomes. “Deuterostome development in animals, is a developmental mode distinguished by the development of the anus from the blastopore; often also characterized by radial cleavage and by the body cavity forming out pockets of mesodermal tissue” (Campbell 661). For example, the study’s co-author Matthias Obststates states, “So maybe we're more closely related to the Xenoturbella bocki worm, which doesn't have a brain, than we are to lobsters and flies” (Jauregui 1). Scientists have good reason to believe that the human race is more closely related to something so simple and far from complex as this worm that lacks a brain and sex organs! They have found that, “…the worm's early embryonic development is similar to that of humans, which could help answer questions about how human organs are formed” (Jauregui 1). This discovery could potentially help scientists regenerate organs, tissues and contribute to stem cell research. This new found information can benefit the future of medicine and longevity immensely.

Blog Post Author: Dana Hebert, Section 124-28

Article Citation

Jauregui, Andres. "'Paradox Worm' Xenoturbella Bocki Lacks Brain & Sex Organs, But Could Be Mankind's 'Progenitor'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.

Reece, Jane B., Neil A. Campbell, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, and Robert B. Jackson. Campbell Biology. 9th ed. Boston: Benjamin Cummings / Pearson Education, 2011. Print.

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Jawless Vertebrae Had the World's Sharpest Teeth

Photo courtesy of rhyniechert.com

 This article was about a vertebra named a Conodont. It is recorded to have the sharpest teeth of any animal that ever lived. Its teeth are barely thicker than a human hair; however their strength can compete with the strength of our human jaw. This vertebra evolved 500 million years ago and went extinct about 200 million years ago. This vertebra roamed the earth for longer than any other vertebra so far. They do not have a jaw; however they were the first vertebra to evolve teeth. Conodont’s teeth are a little bit different than mammalian teeth. Instead of going up and down, the Conodont’s teeth go left to right to work. There was a problem with having such thin sharp teeth, because they’re so thin and fragile they are more likely to break. To overcome this, the Conodont was able to re-sharpen and repair their teeth throughout their lives. The discovery of these vertebra gave rise to insight of the dental evolution of vertebra. The fossilized teeth are found abundantly in the sedimentary rock in marine environments. By looking at these fossils it can be determined how vertebra evolved and what were the reason for them to evolve, which was most likely food. The finding of Conodonts opened doors for scientific investigation.

Blog Post Author: Meghan Skura, Section 124-21

Article Citation:
Bell, Alexandra. "Jawless Vertebrate had world's sharpest teeth." Nature. N.p., 14 Mar 2012. Web. 14 Apr 2013. <http://www.nature.com/news/jawless-vertebrate-had-world-s-sharpest-teeth-1.10211>.

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Some Echinoderms Will Never Grow Up

photo courtesy of deepseanews.com

In life, people think of being “immature” or not growing up as a bad thing. But in this case, for species like echinoderms, it can be advantageous. Xyloplax is an example of an Echinoderm that has adapted to its preferred environment. The article goes on to name list the five living examples of Echinoderms and some examples of each. When Xyloplax was first discovered, it apparently did not fit into any of the five classes because it did not have all the characteristics of one in particular. For example, making it unique, the Xyloplax does not have arms; however it was then found out that it was most closely relate to the family Pterasteridae. It has also been hypothesized that Xyloplax is “an actual Asteroid with arrested development so that sexually mature individuals occur in an otherwise juvenile body” (Dr. M.). In other words, Xyloplax’s characteristics allow it to live in pieces of wood on the seafloor. Because it is so small, it can fit into tiny spaces in the wood and eat bacteria. The moral of the article is that next time you try and tell someone to grow up, think first about how they may be perfect the way they are!

Blog Post Author: Erica DeMello, Section 124-28

Article Citation
Janies, D., J. Voight, and M. Daly. "Some Echinoderms Will Never Grow Up." Deep Sea

     News. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

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Ancient Creature was a miniature monster

Photo courtesy of http://palaeos.com

A 500 million year old monster looking predator was discovered in the deposits of Canada. The first clues of the monster fossil were described 100 years ago and scientists thought it to be a crustacean animal, however, now its clear that Hurdia is a large predatory animal, half a meter in length with a segmented body and a head with spiny claws and a circular jaw with teeth. It is extremely rare to find a complete fossil because the soft tissues decay quickly.

More and more clues of Hurdia are accumulated over the years but the final clue was discovered when a sample turned up in storage cabinets at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. This specimen has been intact until researches in the 1970’s classified it as an arthropod and then as an unusual specimen of the famous monster predator Anomalocaris. Hurdia is related to this other beast, but one thing that was different from both is that a large three-part shell projects out from the front of the animal’s head. Researchers were astonished by this structure because it was unlike anything they had seen in arthropods. The shell structure in Hurdia did not seem to cover or protect the body as most do and it was empty.

No one knows what these predators might have ate because there is no direct evidence but they think that it ate whatever came around. If it was looked at in terms of the Cambrian marine world, it may have ate marine worms, trilobites, other arthropods, molluscs, or other predators. Hurida was covered in gills which my hint it was necessary to provide oxygen to a large swimming animal. Hurdia and Anomalocaris are early lineages that directed to arthropods because they had compound eyes and limbs with filaments used for breathing.

Blog Post Author: Christina Vilkhovoy, Section 124-22

Article Citation
LiveScience Staff. “Ancient Creature was a Minature Monster.” Live Science. 19 March 2009. Web. < http://www.livescience.com/3416-ancient-creature-miniature-monster.html>.

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500-million-year-old sea creature unearthed

Photo Courtesy of nbcnews.com

Scientists have discovered a 520-million-year-old preserved fossil of an arthropod known as a fuxhianhuiid. This is one of the earliest animal fossils discovered, however it is not the first fuxhianhuiid fossil discovered but it is the best example of this arthropod because it shows the internal organs. This arthropod displays primitive limbs under its head and a nervous system that goes beyond the head, which is the earliest example of a system like that.

These creatures lived during the beginning of the Cambrian explosion, 50 million years before animals had even moved from living in the sea to living on land. Scientists believe that these creatures were ones that would be found along the sea bed and believe they might have been able to swim for short distances. These creatures most likely evolved from worms with legs.

This has been a very important discovery because it may be able to help put together evolutionary history of animals. This has also been helpful because arthropods are often classified based on their head appendages and this fossil shows the earliest examples of that. "These fossils are our best window to see the most primitive state of animals as we know them – including us," Ortega-Hernández said in a statement. "Before that there is no clear indication in the fossil record of whether something was an animal or a plant – but we are still filling in the details, of which this is an important one" (Ghose).

Blog Post Author: Desiree Villeneuve, Section 124-21

Article Citation
Ghose, Tia. "500-million-year-old Sea Creature Unearthed." NBC News. NBC News, 27 Feb.
2013. Web. 05 Apr. 2013. <http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17119273-500-million-year-old-sea-creature-unearthed?lite>

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Zoologger: The Largest Arthropod to prowl the land

Among the beautiful beaches and gigantic waves in Palmyra atoll, just south of Hawaii, a big creature waits his chance to emerge as the sun goes down. The creature is known as the Coconut Crab, species Birgus latro, and it is Earth’s largest land arthropod. The beast’s measurements are shocking with length up to 40 centimeters and a leg span of 90 centimeters. Although most of its other large competitors live in the ocean, the Coconut Crab has adapted a brilliant way of living.

The crabs are born at sea, usually on a new moon, when their mothers release their fertilized eggs. The newborns live in the sea for about a month and then migrate onto land. In order to be able to survive on land, Coconut crabs developed organs called branchiostegal lungs. They are basically gills turned inside out. These specialized organs were developed because their abdomens were allowed to be exposed to air, unlike other hermit crabs.

Their name implies that they feed on coconuts and many other nuts but using their claws to crack open the shell. They often carry a coconut to the top of a tree and drop it in order to crack it open. Occasionally, they steal food from campers, giving them the nickname robber crabs. Mouths are absent in these crabs, instead they have a gastric mill that grinds the nuts so they can be swallowed.

The large crabs have been hunted to their point where they are non-existent on some islands. Trying to make is safe for them to produce is hard due to the fact that the land and sea would both need to be safe. IN the lab, they have had success in all steps of breeding. Much work has to be done before these trials will be done in the wild. They are sure to help the big crab back into the world.

Blog Post Author: Samantha Hill, Section 124-23

Article Citation:
Marshall, Micheal. “Zoologger: The largest arthropod to prowl the land.” Newscientist. 03 March 2010.<http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18600-zoologger-the-largest-arthropod-to-prowl-the-land.html>

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