Oldest Horseshoe Crab Fossils Found in Canada
A new fossil species of horseshoe crab shows that the primitive marine creatures have existed for at least a hundred million years longer than previously believed, researchers say.
The well-preserved fossils, found in Manitoba, Canada, suggest that the animals scuttled through shallow tropical seas nearly half a billion years ago. The ancient animals were remarkably similar to modern horseshoe crabs, the discovery team noted.
Horseshoe crabs have long been known as "living fossils" because they have survived since ancient times with little change in physical form, and they have no close modern relatives.
A new fossil species of horseshoe crab shows that the primitive marine creatures have existed for at least a hundred million years longer than previously believed, researchers say.
The well-preserved fossils, found in Manitoba, Canada, suggest that the animals scuttled through shallow tropical seas nearly half a billion years ago. The ancient animals were remarkably similar to modern horseshoe crabs, the discovery team noted.
Horseshoe crabs have long been known as "living fossils" because they have survived since ancient times with little change in physical form, and they have no close modern relatives.
