vertebrates
Coverage of vertebrates in the Nexus archive.
- Millipedes beat vertebrates to land by 80 million years
Millipedes may have inhabited land 460 million years ago, predating vertebrates by 80 million years. A recent study completed their evolutionary family tree, uncovering insights into their role as ecosystem engineers and their early use of chemical defenses.
- The shocking origin of human eyes traces back to an ancient “cyclops”
A cyclops-like creature from 600 million years ago may explain the evolutionary origin of human eyes and sleep cycles. Scientists found that vertebrates, including humans, inherited vision from a single light-sensitive 'median eye' on a worm-like ancestor, which later evolved into paired image-forming eyes as the species became more active.
- 289-million-year-old mummified reptile reveals how breathing began on land
A 289-million-year-old mummified reptile, Captorhinus aguti, has been discovered with evidence of a rib-powered breathing system, offering insights into how vertebrates transitioned to land. This finding redefines understanding of early terrestrial respiration in reptiles, birds, and mammals.