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Opabinia

Opabinia, another small Cambrian critter, grew to eight centimeters (about three inches). This creature likely caught prey with the grasping claws of its long, tube-like proboscis and then stuffed the food into its mouth — much as an elephant uses its trunk. Opabinia may have even used its proboscis to pull worms out of their burrows.

Opabinia



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Sanctacaris: An arthropod
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Is Opabinia an arthropod?

Opabinia fossil photo by Chip Clark, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
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