Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Vishwam Sankaran

Strange creature with ‘mouth but no anus’ is not earliest human ancestor, study finds

Philip Donoghue et al/PA Wire

A strange microscopic creature which has “a mouth but no anus” and from which humans were earlier thought to have descended has now been found to be a part of a different family tree.

The bag-like sea creature known as a Saccorhytus also likely moved by wriggling, previous studies had revealed.

Its large mouth was found to be surrounded by spines and holes which were interpreted as pores for gills.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.