An international team of researchers has discovered fossils at the Moroccan site of Taichoute, a desert once bathed by waters, that suggest giant arthropods—relatives of modern shrimp, spiders, and insects—ruled the oceans 470 million years ago. Scientists recorded numerous giant, "free-swimming" specimens. They believe they may have exceeded the average height of modern humans, reaching up to two meters in length. According to the researchers, these fossils are very different from others previously found at the Fezouata Shale site, just 80 km away. For this reason, Taichoute, which is part of the Fezouata biota, opens up new avenues for paleontological and ecological research. "Everything is new about this locality, its sedimentology, paleontology, and even the preservation of fossils. "It's important to complete our understanding of past life on Earth," says Farid Saleh of the Universities of Lausanne and Yunnan, and lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Related News standard No The dinosaurs that fought with clubs J. de Jorge Ankylosaurs had powerful tails full of spikes that they used to compete for territory or during mating season. The giant arthropods discovered have not yet been fully identified, but researchers believe that some may belong to previously described species, "and some will undoubtedly be new species," says Xiaoya Ma of the Universities of Exeter and Yunnan. "However, their large size and free-swimming lifestyle suggest that they played a unique role in these ecosystems," he adds. The Fezouata Shale was recently selected as one of the 100 most important geological sites in the world due to its importance in understanding evolution during the Early Ordovician period, around 470 million years ago. Preserved soft parts The fossils discovered in these rocks include mineralized elements (e.g., shells), but some also show exceptional preservation of soft parts such as internal organs, allowing scientists to investigate the anatomy of early animal life on Earth. The animals of the Fezouata Shale lived in a shallow sea that experienced repeated storm and wave activity, which buried the animal communities and preserved them in place as exceptional fossils. However, nektonic (or free-swimming) animals remain a relatively minor component at the site. The new Taichoute fossils are preserved in sediments that are a few million years younger than those from the Zagora area and are dominated by fragments of giant arthropods. “The carcasses were transported to a relatively deep marine environment by underwater landslides, which contrasts with previous discoveries of preserved carcasses in shallower environments, which were buried in place by storm deposits,” says Romain Vaucher of the University of Lausanne. Interestingly, brachiopods (marine invertebrates) have been found attached to some fragments of the arthropods, indicating that these large shells acted as nutrient reserves for the seafloor-dwelling community once they were dead and lying on the bottom. MORE INFORMATION news No US proves for the first time that we can replicate the energy of stars here on Earth news No José Manuel Perlado, physicist: “It’s a milestone, something that fusion scientists have been waiting for since the 1960s” The site continues to surprise researchers with “unexpected new discoveries.”
