Space Industry and Business News  
EARLY EARTH
530 million-year-old fossil is likely world's oldest eye
by Brooks Hays
Washington (UPI) Dec 7, 2017


Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland believe they've found the world's oldest eye.

The 530 million-year-old fossil eye belonged to an ancient extinct sea creature named Schmidtiellus reetae. The eye looks like an early version of the type of eye deployed by a number of modern animals, including crabs, bees and dragonflies.

Scientists discovered the ancient eye in Estonia. Because it is partially worn away, paleontologists were able to look directly inside the organ, revealing the eye's structure and inner workings.

The eye recalls a primitive version of a modern compound eye, featuring an array of ommatidia, which are tiny light-sensitive cells. Its resemblance to the eyes of bees suggests eye evolution hasn't drastically changed over the last 500 million years.

Scientists' analysis of the eye -- detailed this week in the journal PNAS -- suggests the early marine creature had relatively poor version compared to modern animals, but was able to see encroaching predators and pick out obstacles as it navigated the shallows.

"This exceptional fossil shows us how early animals saw the world around them hundreds of millions of years ago," Edinburgh professor Euan Clarkson said in a news release. "Remarkably, it also reveals that the structure and function of compound eyes has barely changed in half a billion years."

The early eye featured fewer ommatidia, just 100 cells, than today's eyes, and they were spaced farther apart than they are in the eyes of modern animals.

The Edinburgh researchers were assisted by scientists from University of Cologne in Germany and the Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia.

During their fossil survey of the Baltic region, they discovered another ancient -- but more capable -- eye. The discovery revealed advances in visual resolution just a few million years later.

Scientists say its unlikely they'll be able to find an intact eye older than the one they unearthed in Estonia.

"This may be the earliest example of an eye that it is possible to find," said Cologne professor Brigitte Schoenemann. "Older specimens in sediment layers below this fossil contain only traces of the original animals, which were too soft to be fossilised and have disintegrated over time."

EARLY EARTH
Trickle-down is the solution to the planetary core formation problem
Austin TX (SPX) Dec 05, 2017
Scientists have long pondered how rocky bodies in the solar system - including our own Earth - got their metal cores. According to research conducted by The University of Texas at Austin, evidence points to the downwards percolation of molten metal toward the center of the planet through tiny channels between grains of rock. The finding calls into question the interpretation of prior exper ... read more

Related Links
Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EARLY EARTH
ORNL-designed algorithm leverages Titan to create high-performing deep neural networks

In first, 3-D printed objects connect to WiFi without electronics

First step toward practical application of holographic memory with magnetic assist

Virtual reality users must learn to use what they see

EARLY EARTH
US Navy accepts 5th MUOS Satellite for global military cellular network

SES GS Awarded US Government Satellite Solutions Contract

16th SPCS Defenders of critical satellite communications

First order for Elta ELK-1882T SATCOM network system

EARLY EARTH
EARLY EARTH
DARPA digging for ideas to revolutionize subterranean mapping

China's GPS network Beidou joins global rescue data network

Galileo quartet fuelled and ready to fly

China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System Expands Into a Global Network

EARLY EARTH
Indonesia re-opening Bali airport shut by volcanic ash

Indian aerospace behemoth reveals why Indo-Russia FGFA is highly feasible

Lockheed awarded $37.7M contract for F-35 software conversions

Sky-high Wi-Fi ready to fly

EARLY EARTH
NUS researchers achieve significant breakthrough in topological insulator based devices

Discovery points the way to better and cheaper transparent conductors

Microwave-based test method can help keep 3-D chip designers' eyes open

A step forward for quantum computing

EARLY EARTH
Understanding the climate impact of natural atmospheric particles

Haze pollution affects satellite cloud detection

French NGO helps African mums shake off AIDS stigma

OGC seeks public comment on CDB Multi-spectral Imagery Extension

EARLY EARTH
Confiscation crusaders try to save Philippine paradise

Babies' brains at risk from toxic pollution: UN

Is underground transit worse for your health?

Doctors say no to sport in Delhi as cricketers choke in smog









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.