Scientists Discover Fossil of Strange Sea Worm-英语课

时间：2019-01-02 作者：英语课 分类：2017年VOA慢速英语(八)月

英语课

Scientists found a prehistoric ancestor of an arrow worm among a group of fossils at two national parks in Canada.

The fossils were found in what is now British Columbia, but was once an ocean.

The sea worm was 10 centimeters long and had 50 spines on its head. The spines could close suddenly to capture smaller sea creatures, like shrimp.

The scientists reported their discovery in the journal Current Biology in early August.

They are calling the creature Capinatator praetermissus. They say it lived 500 million years ago and is very different from anything alive now.

Capinatator means “grasping swimmer.”

Derek Briggs is a scientist from Yale University. He led the expedition. He said the creature was larger than today’s similar worms. The arrow worms of today have teeth instead of spines.

Briggs said the worm was probably a good predator because it had so many spines.

The scientists said it is difficult to find evidence of these prehistoric worms because their bodies decayed so quickly. But this discovery was in such good shape, they were able to make a good guess about how the worm looked.

Researchers were able to make a detailed drawing and an animation of how they think the worm moved in the ocean.

Doug Erwin works for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He was not involved in the research. He said the discovery will help scientists better understand the worms and other life from this ancient period.

I’m Dan Friedell.

Words in This Story

fossil – n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks

grasp – v. to take and hold (something) with your fingers, hands, etc.

spine – n. a sharp, pointed part on an animal or plant

predator – n. an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals: an animal that preys on other animals

decay – v. to be slowly destroyed by natural processes: to be slowly broken down by the natural processes that destroy a dead plant or body

animation– n. a way of making a movie by using a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of objects (such as puppets or models) that are slightly different from one another and that when viewed quickly one after another create the appearance of movement

最新学习文章

热门学习文章

热门标签

英语听力 VOA标准英语 VOA 英语歌曲口语听力提高听力材料听力教程英语学习 NPR 英语口语 VOA慢速英语美国国家电台儿童英语 VOA英语小学英语 cnn VOA常速英语标准英语英文歌曲听电影学英语英语单词英文电影慢速英语 CRI 美联社新闻美国有线新闻加州分级澳洲新闻流行歌曲常速英语 ABC新闻快递疯狂英语英语读物听力棚车少年经济学人英语词汇商务英语 VOA双语新闻 BBC 中国电台大学英语 Treasures 加州语文 BBC英语英语听力网站 VOA英语教学词汇万花筒 SSS VOA英语听力 AP 新概念分级英语英语广播听力精选英语播客英文绘本 TED演讲赖世雄英语MP3 CCTV9英语新闻 lesson 英语新闻初中英语学英语英语语法历史上的今天英文广播剧英语游戏原版英语小说英语有声读物书虫英语牛津英语读物访谈录新闻一分钟考研英语英语每日在线听新闻 Us 新概念英语地道英语单词第二册自然百科高中英语 sports 实用英语 MP3听力辛沛沛 ESL英语第一册英语每日一句 unit 新东方 GRE 每日一词 BBC听力

学英语单词

ablazer

advanced digital optical control system

Ainscough

aluminum cartridge case