Published in Nature · View the paper (DOI)
A team of researchers led by Virginia Tech's Shuhai Xiao discovered a 550 million-year-old sea sponge that challenges previous theories about its evolution. The fossil, found in China, suggests that early sponges may have had soft-bodied skeletons and only later developed mineralized structures.
Coverage from 2 institutions
- Virginia Tech researcher's team discovers 'missing' sea sponges Virginia Tech · Jun 5, 2024 · first to report
- Fossil discovery reveals early evolution of sponges Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters · Jun 5, 2024