Introducing Animals

Ancient arthropod kept its brood close

Threads tethered juveniles to parent, fossil suggests

Ancient Arthropod

KEEP CLOSE  The ancient arthropod Aquilonifer spinosus tethered its offspring to its armor, shown in this 3-D rendering.

D. Briggs et al/PNAS 2016

By Cassie Martin

- More than 2 years ago

Family ties last 430 million years — at least for one newly discovered arthropod species.

Researchers discovered the fossilized remains of Aquilonifer spinosus encased in carbonate from a formation called the Herefordshire Lagerstätte in England.