Ancient Creature Unearthed with Remarkably Preserved Muscle

Scientists have discovered rare microfossils in China that preserve muscle tissue from a mysterious creature that lived 535 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion. The fossils, believed to belong to the cycloneuralian group, provide unprecedented insights into the musculature systems of early animals. The preserved muscle tissue is from a body part called the proboscis, suggesting that the host animals may have been at least millimeter-sized and lived on the soft sea floor or within sands. The finding is significant as muscle and nerve tissues are rarely preserved in the fossil record.