Chinese scientist discovers world's earliest vertebrates(1/4)

A researcher shows the yunnanozoan fossils dating back 518 million years in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 8, 2022. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Bo)

Cartilaginous features found in their fossilized remains are comparable to modern vertebrates, paleontologists have discovered. The evolution of an internal skeleton marks a milestone in the history of life on Earth. The research was published on Science on Friday.

Photo shows the yunnanozoan fossils dating back 518 million years in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 8, 2022. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Bo)

Photo shows the yunnanozoan fossils dating back 518 million years in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 8, 2022. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Bo)

A researcher shows the yunnanozoan fossils dating back 518 million years in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 8, 2022. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Bo)