Ancient swimming ‘taco' had ‘bug jaws,' new fossils show

An ancient sea creature resembling a bug with a fan-shaped tail and a folded shell has been discovered through fossils. The creature, called Odaraia alata, had jawlike structures known as mandibles for biting and tearing food. This finding sheds light on how Odaraia captured its meals and places it among the earliest arthropods with mandibles. The fossils were found in rocks dating back to approximately 505 million years ago. The study also revealed that Odaraia possessed leg hairs that could have trapped prey. The discovery of the creature’s unusual features raises further questions about its anatomy and behavior.