Prehistoric crustaceans dating back 500 MILLION years are spotted in a pond

[Maximilian]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7212441/The-shrimps-older-dinosaurs-Prehistoric-crustaceans-date-500-million-years.html

The 'shrimps' that are older than the dinosaurs: Prehistoric crustaceans dating back 500 MILLION years are spotted in a pond in China
- The rare creatures, dubbed 'fairy shrimps', were found by a group of engineers in Jiangsu this week
- An expert says they are actually different from modern shrimps despite being similar in appearance
- Fossils indicate the ancestors of the species existed 530 million years ago in the Cambrian Period
- Their eggs can survive being boiled and remain in soil for years before hatching, the expert explains

A type of ancient shrimp, which emerged more than 500 million years ago before the dawn of the dinosaurs, has been spotted in China.

The rare species, referred to as 'fairy shrimps', could date back as far as the Cambrian Period and are related to, but not the direct ancestors of, today's shrimp. 

A troupe of them were spotted this week in a pond in the city of Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, by several engineers who were working nearby.

One of them, Liu Caikun, said he and his colleagues first saw several tadpoles in the pond on Tuesday and caught them.

After putting them into a bucket, they discovered there were 'shrimps' swimming alongside the tadpoles, all sporting red tails.

'We looked up some information online and thought they looked like fairy shrimps,' Mr Liu added.

An expert has confirmed to MailOnline that the creatures in question were indeed fairy shrimps.

Zhao Li, the director of the Insect Museum of West China, said the crustaceans were given the nickname because of their colourful looks, but they are actually different from modern shrimps despite being similar in appearance.

Mr Zhao explained that fairy shrimps belong to the Anostraca genus, and unlike shrimps which fall under the Decapoda genus, they don't have shells on their heads or in front of their chests.

In addition, most fairy shrimps are found to have 11 pairs of legs while modern shrimps have eight.

According to the expert, fairy shrimps have a short life span of two to three months and live in seasonal water bodies.

Their eggs are said to have 'tenacious vitality'. They are able to remain in soil for a few year before hatching in freshwater, and can even survive being boiled.

'Because they have these "skills", they lived through the Cretaceous Period when the dinosaurs went extinct and started to thrive again after the Ice Age,' Mr Zhao said.

He added that he had found two fossils in museums, which are believed to be of the ancestors of fairy shrimps, and they dated back about 530 million years to the Cambrian Period.

This means the creatures are likely to have started living on earth far earlier than the dinosaurs, which appeared roughly 245 million years ago.

[Fleur-de-Lys]

I wonder what they taste like. 

[Vetus Ordo]

The name itself is quite suggestive: fairy shrimp.

An interesting discovery, nonetheless.

[Heinrich]

I wonder what they taste like. 

[Gardener]

I'd season with... OLD Bay. 

[Heinrich]

[Fleur-de-Lys]

I'm thinking étouffée.

[clau clau]

I dont believe it.  It sounds fishy.   

[MundaCorMeum]

I'm thinking étouffée.

With all the butter Heinrich supplied, is there really any other option?

[Fleur-de-Lys]

With all the butter Heinrich supplied, is there really any other option?

Well... I wouldn't say no to shrimp scampi.



But my first choice is always étouffée. 

[Heinrich]

The secret to French cooking is butter.

[MundaCorMeum]

The secret to French cooking is butter.

And, wine.  A little to the dish, a little more to the chef.....ca c'est bon!

[Heinrich]

The secret to French cooking is butter.

And, wine.  A little to the dish, a little more to the chef.....ca c'est bon!

Natürlich!