Cracking the hard shells of its prey with a multi-tool head
August 13, 2018 7:31 PM Subscribe
Half a billion years ago, Habelia optata lived and hunted prey at the bottom of a warm shallow Cambrian sea. Protected by its thick, hard, spiny armor, it walked on five pairs of articulated legs. Only 2 to 3 centimeters long, it detected and grasped smaller less fortunate animals. With its many comparatively large jaws, it cracked through the hard shells of its prey.How Art Makes Better Science: a short case study of the 2-D and 3-D interpretations by Joanna Liang of one of the many weird creatures of the Burgess Shale. via
The second video in the main link gives a good overview of the process.
(and some of the reconstructions in his book were incorrect at the time, so each new reconstruction is yet another revelation)
posted by JamesBay at 9:33 PM on August 13, 2018
posted by JamesBay at 9:33 PM on August 13, 2018
So much effort put into visualizing large armored marine spiders. I approve!
posted by q*ben at 9:58 PM on August 13, 2018
posted by q*ben at 9:58 PM on August 13, 2018
That's no multi-tool head: it's just a trilobite wearing a horse head mask.
posted by scruss at 1:02 AM on August 14, 2018
posted by scruss at 1:02 AM on August 14, 2018
I ❤️ DEATHSHRIMP
posted by Artw at 6:46 AM on August 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 6:46 AM on August 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
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posted by JamesBay at 9:31 PM on August 13, 2018 [3 favorites]