Human Origins traced to a Worm Fossil found in Canada.The most primitive known vertebrate and therefore the ancestor of all descendant vertebrates, including humans, has been discovered in the 505 million year old Burgess Shale fossil beds in Canada’s Yoho National Park. It is the most primitive vertebrate known, and therefore the ancestor of all descendant vertebrates, including humans.
The research team’s analysis proves the extinct Pikaia gracilens is the most primitive member of the chordate family, the group of animals that today includes fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals. The study is based on the analysis of 114 specimens and was published, March 5 2012, in the British scientific journal Biological Reviews.
“The discovery of myomeres is the smoking gun that we have long been seeking,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Simon Conway Morris of the University of Cambridge. The real excitement was finding extensive myomeres, the blocks of skeletal muscle tissue that are characteristic of chordates.”
“It’s very humbling to know that swans, snakes, bears, zebras and, incredibly, humans all share a deep history
with this tiny creature no longer than my thumb,” said Caron.
***Thoughts
Yes very humbling - especially when you look at the picture of the 500 million year old worm.
http://phys.org/news/2012-03-human-worm-fossil-canada.html