<p>Chinese palaeontologists have discovered two new species of lamprey from fossils considered 160 million years old.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lampreys are jawless fish that look like eels. Generally, these are thought of as parasitic organisms, that use their disc-shaped mouths and sharp teeth to latch onto prey and suck their blood.</p>

<p>But the two species discovered in China were not simply sucking blood but were scooping out flesh from their prey. Their bite was so powerful that it could even crack their prey’s skeleton.</p>

<p>“Living lampreys are always hailed as ‘water vampires,’ but their ancestor might be a flesh eater, their teeth tell,” says study co-author Feixiang Wu, a palaeontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to Popular Science’s Laura Baisas.</p>

<h2><strong>Species found in fossil bed in North China</strong></h2>

<p>The two species were discovered in a fossil bed in North China. The larger fossil of lamprey measures about 23 inches long, and is named Yanliaomyzon occisor by the scientists, with “occisor” meaning “killer” in Latin.</p>

<p>The small species is roughly 11 inches long and is named Yanliaomyzon ingensdentes, a name derived from the Latin words for “large teeth.”</p>

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<p>The well-preserved fossils were in such good shape that palaeontologists could make out the creatures’ biting structures and oral discs.</p>

<p>“There have been no other lamprey fossils from the dinosaur age that preserve their terrorizing oral apparatus quite so clearly,” says Tetsuto Miyashita, a paleobiologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature who was not involved in the new research, to Nature News’ Xiaoying You.</p>

<h2><strong>Missing link</strong></h2>

<p>The recently discovered species, which coexisted with dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, act as a missing link between the earliest lampreys and the 31 surviving species we see today.</p>

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<p>For instance, the oldest preserved lamprey fossils date back around 360 million years to the Paleozoic era. These fossils reveal that early lampreys were considerably smaller, about an inch in length, and had underdeveloped feeding structures, suggesting that they did not feed on blood or flesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additionally, these early lampreys did not undergo metamorphosis (changing life forms). In contrast, modern lampreys are notably larger, possess intricate teeth, and go through all three distinct life stages.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Chinese palaeontologists have discovered two new species of lamprey from fossils considered 160 million years old. Lampreys are jawless fish that look like eels.

Chinese palaeontologists have discovered two new species of lamprey from fossils considered 160 million years old. Lampreys are jawless fish that look like eels. Generally, these are thought of as parasitic organisms, that use their disc-shaped mouths and sharp teeth to latch onto prey and suck their blood. But the two species discovered in China were not simply sucking blood but were scooping out flesh from their prey. Their bite was so powerful that it could even crack their prey’s skeleton. “Living lampreys are always hailed as ‘water vampires,’ but their ancestor might be a flesh eater, their teeth tell,” says study co-author Feixiang Wu, a palaeontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to Popular Science’s Laura Baisas. Species found in fossil bed in North China The two species were discovered in a fossil bed in North China. The larger fossil of lamprey measures about 23 inches long, and is named Yanliaomyzon occisor by the scientists, with “occisor” meaning “killer” in Latin. The small species is roughly 11 inches long and is named Yanliaomyzon ingensdentes, a name derived from the Latin words for “large teeth.” Also read: Hubble captures Jupiter in breathtaking colours as giant planet reaches farthest to sun The well-preserved fossils were in such good shape that palaeontologists could make out the creatures’ biting structures and oral discs. “There have been no other lamprey fossils from the dinosaur age that preserve their terrorizing oral apparatus quite so clearly,” says Tetsuto Miyashita, a paleobiologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature who was not involved in the new research, to Nature News’ Xiaoying You. Missing link The recently discovered species, which coexisted with dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, act as a missing link between the earliest lampreys and the 31 surviving species we see today. Watch: Nuclear Fusion: A carbon-free source of energy × For instance, the oldest preserved lamprey fossils date back around 360 million years to the Paleozoic era. These fossils reveal that early lampreys were considerably smaller, about an inch in length, and had underdeveloped feeding structures, suggesting that they did not feed on blood or flesh. Additionally, these early lampreys did not undergo metamorphosis (changing life forms). In contrast, modern lampreys are notably larger, possess intricate teeth, and go through all three distinct life stages. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Flesh-eater’ lamprey species discovered in China from 160 million-year-old fossil

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