A fossil of a 425 million-year-old millipede called Kampecaris obanensis and unearthed in Scotland is shown in this undated handout photo released to Reuters on May 27, 2020. British Geological Survey/Handout via REUTERS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fossilized millipede-like creature discovered in Scotland may represent the oldest-known land animal, a humble pioneer of terrestrial living 425 million years ago that helped pave the way for the throngs that would eventually inhabit Earth's dry parts.
Researchers said the fossil of the Silurian Period creature, called Kampecaris obanensis and unearthed on the island of Kerrera in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, inhabited a lakeside environment and likely ate decomposing plants. Fossils of the oldest-known plant with a stem, called Cooksonia, were found in the same ancient lake region as Kampecaris.
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