Sometimes when you stare at something long enough—a cloud formation or a Rorschach ink blot, for example—it can suddenly take on an entirely different appearance. Such a visual shift can take place even for those with well-trained eyes, such as scientists who spend significant amounts of time staring at fossils. And when fossils are viewed differently, the resulting re-interpretted may have implications that are both fascinating and far-reaching.
It was just such a visual awakening that took place for a team of researchers from Uppsala University who were studying fossils collected from the Burgess Shale. The team, led by Allison Daley and Graham Budd, was particularly interested in a creature known as Hurdia victoria. Hurdia victoria was first described in 1912, but for many years, scientists lacked a clear picture of what Hurdia victoria may have looked like.
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