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508-million-year-old fossil embroys!

 

A rare fossil preserving embryos of the 508-million-year-old shrimp-like creature Waptia fieldensis has been found. (Link to article here!) Fossilized embryos were found tucked up under the Waptia‘s hinged shell, which means that these critters hung on to their fertilized eggs for at least a little while. The evolution of parental care might be a lot older than previously thought!

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SCIENCE! Tiny fossil whale used teeth to filter feed

Chibi Fucaia buelli
Chibi fossil whale Fucaia buelli based on research paper by Marx, Tsai, and Fordyce

New fossils of a little 6-foot early baleen whale show that they used their pointy teeth and suction to eat. If you’re wondering what a baleen whale is doing with teeth, the answer is: evolution, my dear Watson! Read more about it on LiveScience or check out the original research paper.