Science
Fossil lamprey larvae from South Africa overturn assumptions about vertebrate origins – The Conversation Africa
Since the 19th century, biologists have treated the larvae of lampreys as a relic of evolutionary ancestry that could potentially give clues about vertebrate origins….
Lampreys are an extremely bizarre order of fishes. Together with their cousins, the hagfish, they are the only living group of vertebrates branching from the family tree of animals before they had developed jaws. Vertebrates are animals with backbones, such as goldfish, lizards, crows and people.
They are eel-like in shape and feed by latching onto other fish with a round sucker that surrounds their mouth, securing their grip with circles of teeth on the sucker. Then they drink their victims blood…
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