Jurassic Lamprey Fossil Discovered in China Reveals Ancient Flesh-Eating Habits

China
A new species of lamprey, Mesomyzon mengae, dating back to the Jurassic period, has been discovered in China.
The Mesomyzon mengae is the largest lamprey fossil ever discovered, measuring up to 17 inches in length.
Unlike modern lampreys, the Mesomyzon mengae was a flesh-eater, using its circular mouth filled with sharp teeth to gouge out chunks of flesh from its victims.

A new species of lamprey, a type of jawless fish, has been discovered in China, dating back to the Jurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago. The species, named Mesomyzon mengae, was found in the Tiaojishan Formation in northeastern China. The fossils discovered were remarkably well-preserved, allowing scientists to study the lamprey's anatomy in detail. Unlike modern lampreys, which are parasitic and feed by attaching themselves to other fish and sucking their blood, the Mesomyzon mengae was a flesh-eater. It had a circular mouth filled with sharp teeth, which it used to gouge out chunks of flesh from its victims. This discovery provides new insights into the evolution of lampreys, suggesting that they were once more diverse in their feeding habits than they are today. The Mesomyzon mengae is the largest lamprey fossil ever discovered, measuring up to 17 inches in length. The discovery of this ancient lamprey species adds to our understanding of the diversity and evolution of early vertebrates.

Confidence

95%

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160-million-year-old lamprey fish gouged out victims’ flesh

National Geographic Michael Greshko Tuesday, 15 February 2022 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • The article provides a detailed explanation of the lamprey's anatomy and how it evolved over time.
    • It also discusses the significance of the discovery in understanding the evolution of vertebrates.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
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  • Fallacies (100%)
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  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (90%)
    • National Geographic Society, the owner of the site, is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring and protecting the planet. They may have a bias towards environmental and conservation issues.
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication

    98%

    The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
    (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

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    Absolutely Massive Species of Jurassic Lamprey Unearthed

    ScienceAlert Michelle Starr Tuesday, 15 February 2022 00:00
    • Unique Points
      • The article provides a comparison of the size of the newly discovered lamprey to modern lampreys.
      • It also discusses the implications of the discovery for understanding the evolution of parasitism.
    • Accuracy
      No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
    • Deception (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Fallacies (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Bias (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication

    94%

    The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
    (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

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    Jurassic Lamprey Fossils Show These Ancient Fish Were Even More Terrifying Than We Thought

    Gizmodo George Dvorsky Tuesday, 15 February 2022 00:00
    • Unique Points
      • The article provides a detailed description of the lamprey's biting mechanism.
      • It also discusses the implications of the discovery for understanding the evolution of predatory behavior.
    • Accuracy
      No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
    • Deception (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Fallacies (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Bias (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (85%)
      • Gizmodo is owned by G/O Media which is a subsidiary of Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm. The firm may have financial interests that could potentially influence the content.
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      96%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      New fossil species of lamprey was a flesh eater

      Science News Carolyn Gramling Tuesday, 15 February 2022 00:00
      • Unique Points
        • The article provides a detailed description of the lamprey's feeding habits.
        • It also discusses the implications of the discovery for understanding the evolution of feeding strategies.
      • Accuracy
        No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (90%)
        • Science News is published by the Society for Science, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education. They may have a bias towards promoting scientific research.
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication