Fossilized spermatozoa preserved in a 50-myr-old annelid cocoon from Antarctica

• Published in: Biology Letters
• Main Authors: Bomfleur, Benjamin, Mörs, Thomas, Ferraguti, Marco, Reguero, Marcelo, McLoughlin, Stephen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Enheten för paleobiologi 2015
• Subjects: Annelida; Clitellata; fossilization; spermatozoa; taphonomy; Antarctica; Geology; Geologi; Antarctic; Leech; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:nrm:diva-1350; https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0431

The origin and evolution of clitellate annelids—earthworms, leeches and their relatives—is poorly understood, partly because body fossils of these delicate organisms are exceedingly rare. The distinctive egg cases (cocoons) of Clitellata, however, are relatively common in the fossil record, although...