An ancient arthropod with claws at its mouth - palaeontologists have found the remains of an unprecedented beast

The find was classified as a new species of the genus Omnidens because of the unusual structure of its mouth apparatus. The claw-like spines around the mouth have led researchers to reconsider some aspects of the evolution of Cambrian predators.

An unusual predator from the Cambrian period

The fauna of the early Cambrian period (538.8-485.4 million years ago) is known for its distinctive molluscs and arthropods. Prominent among them were large marine predators such as Omnidens amplus, the only previously known representative of its genus. By some estimates, it may have been up to two metres long, although it was only known from a fossil mouth apparatus found in Cambrian shales from China.

In 2016, the jaws of O. amplus were compared to the arthropod Pambdelurion whittingtoni, after which the two taxa were considered synonymous. The Early Cambrian organisms are important for understanding the origin of the class of radiodonts, large predators of the ancient seas that acquired complex eyes as early as 500 million years ago.

The new find and its significance

Paleontologists recently discovered 18 articulated remains and 26 plates with disparate elements of a new creature that lived about 521-514 million years ago in the Hongjingshao Formation of Yunnan Province. Examination of these specimens showed that the animal's mouth apparatus consisted of two paired rows of claw-like plates, rather than being circular as in radiodonts.

This allowed the find to be attributed to a new species - Omnidens qiongqii, named in honour of the ferocious beast Qiongqi from ancient Chinese mythology. Scientists counted 10 claw-like structures on each "jaw" (five on each side). The largest spike was 3.8 cm long and 1.4 cm wide. When the jaw was closed, these claws closed, allowing the predator to effectively grab prey.

Revising evolutionary ideas

This structure of the mouth apparatus surprised researchers, because it did not fit into previous ideas about the origin of the round mouth in radiodonts. Perhaps these predators independently "invented" such a configuration, rather than inherited it from ancestors. In addition, the hard claws of O. qiongqii fill the evolutionary gap between soft-bodied lobopods and radiodonts with an exoskeleton.

Does Cthulhu resemble Omnidens qiongqii and could it have been his prototype?

Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic creature created by writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft in 1926. He is described as a giant creature with an octopus head, dragon wings and claws on his paws. Omnidens qiongqii, on the other hand, is a recently discovered Cambrian arthropod that lived over 500 million years ago, with claw-like structures around the mouth.

Similarities and differences:

• Similarities: Both creatures have claw-like structures around their mouths and an unusual appearance that may appear frightening or alien.
• Differences: Cthulhu is a product of fiction, having features of both sea creatures (octopus) and mythological dragons. Omnidens qiongqii is a real fossil creature related to ancient arthropods.

Could Omnidens qiongqii be a prototype of Cthulhu?

It's unlikely. Omnidens qiongqii has only recently been discovered and described by scientists, whereas Cthulhu was created by Lovecraft almost a century ago. Lovecraft drew inspiration from mythology, his own nightmares and fear of the unknown, rather than from specific palaeontological findings.