Scientists have discovered a unique 520-million-year-old fossil<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The fossil\u2019s internal organs are almost perfectly preserved, providing researchers with rare insight into the early ancestors of today\u2019s arthropods<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Arthropods include modern-day animals like crabs, lobsters, spiders, insects and centipedes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Scientists have discovered a rare, 520-million-year-old fossil<\/a> with a highly unusual detail: its internal organs are preserved.<\/p>\n The findings were published in Nature<\/a>, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, in a study led by researchers at the University of Durham, per a press release<\/a> from the university. The fossil, named Youti yuanshi, provides scientists with insight into one of the earliest ancestors of arthropods, which includes modern-day animals like crabs, lobsters, spiders, insects and centipedes.<\/p>\n Scientists used advanced scanning technology to scan the fossil<\/a> \u2014 which was once a larva and is the size of a poppy seed \u2014 to create 3D imaging of \u201cthe miniature brain regions, digestive glands, a primitive circulatory system and even traces of the nerves supplying the larva\u2019s simple legs and eyes,\u201d per the release.<\/p>\n The study\u2019s lead researcher, Dr. Martin Smith of Durham University, said the discovery of the specimen was a dream come true.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I used to daydream about the one fossil I\u2019d most like to discover, I\u2019d always be thinking of an arthropod larva, because developmental data are just so central to understanding their evolution,\u201d he explained, per the release.<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n Centipede (stock image)<\/p>\n He added, \u201cBut larvae are so tiny and fragile, the chances of finding one fossilized are practically zero \u2014 or so I thought! I already knew that this simple worm-like fossil was something special, but when I saw the amazing structures preserved under its skin, my jaw just dropped \u2014 how could these intricate features have avoided decay and still be here to see half a billion years later?\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Katherine Dobson of the University of Strathclyde, one of the study\u2019s co-authors, said that the \u201cincredibly tiny larva\u201d had \u201cachieved almost perfect preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/a><\/p>\n The fossil will hopefully help scientists trace the development of modern-day arthropods<\/a>, and reveal how their simpler ancestors developed the complex anatomies of the creatures that exist today.<\/p>\n The specimen is currently housed at Yunnan University in China, where it was originally discovered.<\/p>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7d30e92fd2710d908604f31f10145926.jpeg\"\/)
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