Recent analysis has shed more light on the diet of the oldest known apex predator, which is likely better suited to feeding on soft-bodied prey.

Anomalocaris canadensis

The Cambrian (-541 to -484 million years ago) was the scene of an explosion of life on Earth, during which the main animal body structures we see today (vertebrae, eyes, etc.) appeared. Many fossils from this distant period have been discovered over the decades, particularly in the Burgess Shale of Canada.

Counts first Apex predator our planet, Anomalocaris canadensis was an arthropod (a group of animals including insects, spiders, crabs, and scorpions) measuring 60 centimeters in length, making it one of the largest living things on earth Cambrian. While it has previously been speculated that its strange arachnid-like forelimbs would have enabled it to capture prey and carry it to its ring-shaped maw, the composition of its diet has remained relatively unclear.

” Crushed trilobite fossils have previously been linked to A. canadensis, but that didn’t seem relevant to me. “explains Russell Bicknell, lead author of the new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. ” These creatures had a very sturdy exoskeleton, while Anomalocaris’ body was essentially soft and spongy.. »

The latest review from fossils After casting doubt on the idea that this animal had armored mouthparts for processing hard food, Bicknell and his colleagues focused their work on finding out whether its long and spiny facial appendages could serve such a function.

A less “tough” predator than expected

To do this, the researchers carried out a three-dimensional reconstructionA.canadensis, using modern scorpions and spiders as biomechanical analogues. Although experiments conducted suggested that the Cambrian creature’s segmented limbs would have been able to stretch, bend, and grasp prey, later simulations showed that stressing these structures during handling would have resulted in damage. Armored creatures like trilobites.

According to the team, this fast and agile creature would likely have focused on soft prey and lunged at it with outstretched front legs.

” Previous assumptions were that Anomalocaris preyed on all of the Burgess Shale fauna. However, this work shows that the dynamics of food webs in the Cambrian were likely much more complex than previously thought. concludes Bicknell.