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Ancient Worm's 'Handedness' Linked to Modern Traits
10 Jul
Summary
- Spriggina floundersi, an ancient worm, exhibited right-sided preference.
- This ancient trait is linked to handedness in modern animals.
- Fossils suggest the worm could move and had a head structure.
An ancient wormlike creature, Spriggina floundersi, that lived approximately 550 million years ago, may be the earliest known animal to exhibit a behavioral preference for using one side of its body. Fossils of this Ediacaran Period animal, discovered in South Australia, have undergone extensive analysis, suggesting it could move on its own.
Researchers examined over 100 fossils of Spriggina, which measured up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) long. The abundance of fossils curving left, indicating their bodies curved right in life, suggests a preferential right-sidedness. This trait mirrors the 'handedness' observed in many modern animals, including humans.
The study indicates that Spriggina possessed an early form of a nervous system connected to muscles, enabling this directional bias. Scientists investigated environmental factors like currents and storms to rule out external forces causing the body curves. The findings suggest this ancient organism set the evolutionary precedent for directional preference in many species today.
