This ancient worm might be an important evolutionary missing link

Lophophorates are a collection of sea creatures with a murky past

An illustration of the ancient armored worm Wufengella, with knobby spikes on its top and clumps of bristles on its side

An armored worm dubbed Wufengella (illustrated) might be the common ancestor of a diverse group of marine invertebrates.

Roberts Nicholls/paleocreations.com

An ancient, armored worm may be the key to unraveling the evolutionary history of a diverse collection of marine invertebrates.