Early Cambrian fossil uncovers key buoyancy structure at the dawn of cephalopod evolution
Researchers have discovered a 520-million-year-old fossil of a new cephalopod species, Eoceras shaanxiense, in South China. This find provides critical evidence regarding the early evolution of the siphuncle, a structure essential for buoyancy control in ancient marine life.
Why it matters
This discovery fills a significant gap in the evolutionary history of cephalopods, helping scientists better understand the timeline of the Cambrian explosion.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Hypothesized life reconstruction of Eoceras gen. nov. Credit: Yang Dinghua Extant and ancient cephalopods—including octopuses, squids, extinct ammonites, cuttlefish and nautiluses—have all had to solve the problem of buoyancy, whether they have hard external shells or not.
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