TNPSC Current Affairs February 2017, 1

Researcher discover oldest and tiniest human ancestor.

Scientist has discovered the oldest and tiniest ancestors of humans at 1 millimetre of size. Scientist said that fossil traces of 540 milliion  years old has  identified well-preserved fossils of a primitive sea creature and is the oldest known ancestor of a wide range of animals, including humans.

The study was conducted by international team of researchers, from the University of Cambridge UK, Northwest University in Xi'an China and Germany.

The microscopic creature named Saccorhytus after its bag like body shape lived in the early Cambrian period.

 It is only about Millimetre in length and would have lived between grains of sand in the seabed.

The Scientist has said that Saccorhytus is the example of the category of animals called deuterostomes”.

The Saccorhytus body covering was probably thin and flexible, suggesting that it could move by wriggling. Saccorhytus body dominated by a single large opening that was probably used for both eating and excreting waste.