Delving into the evolutionary past of the enigmatic deep-sea vampire squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, has lengthy been a pursuit shrouded in thriller. Nevertheless, the latest discoveries, this kind of as a extraordinary specimen unearthed from the Early Jurassic of Luxembourg, are shedding new light on the early anatomy of vampyromorphs.
Enter Simoniteuthis michaelyi, a newfound taxon that has captured the awareness of researchers worldwide. This remarkable creature, based mostly on a just about complete pen accompanied by a head-arm elaborate, is a brilliantly preserved fossil.
What tends to make Simoniteuthis genuinely intriguing is its abnormal arm crown, boasting only four arm pairs in its place of the envisioned five. This anomaly problems our comprehension of vampyromorph anatomy.
But the surprises don’t end there. Evaluation of the specimen’s mouth location reveals proof of predation on two bony fishes. The two animals died in the act of predation, i.e. a person had caught the other and experienced started to nibble on it, when they maybe sank into hypoxic waters and suffocated.
In contrast to its modern day descendant, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, Simoniteuthis inhabited shallower waters, reminiscent of Mesozoic vampyromorphs. This divergence in habitat and searching actions features precious insights into the evolutionary trajectory of these fascinating creatures.
Through meticulous assessment of the fossil file, scientists speculate that vampyromorphs began a vertical migration into deeper waters, quite possibly driven by shifts in feeding habits, as early as the Oligocene epoch.
Fuchs, Dirk, Robert Weis, and Ben Thuy. “Simoniteuthis, a new vampyromorph coleoid with prey in its arms from the Early Jurassic of Luxembourg.” Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 143.1 (2024): 1-10.
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