<p><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/02/23/520-million-year-old-walking-cactus-could-be-forerunner-of-arthropods/walkingcactusweb/" title=""></a></p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><figure class="fr-image-container fr-full"><img srcset="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/22345/WalkingCactusWeb-s.webp 480w, https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/22345/WalkingCactusWeb-m.webp 660w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 480px, 660px" src="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/22345/WalkingCactusWeb-s.jpg" title="WalkingCactusWeb.jpg" loading="lazy" data-id="22345"><figcaption class="fr-figcaption"><p class="fr-caption"></p></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/23/meet-diania-the-walking-cactus-an-early-cousin-of-lifes-great-winners/" title="">From DISCOVER blogger Ed Yong</a>: </p><p>Around 520 million years ago, a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v470/n7335/full/nature09704.html" title="">walking cactus</a> roamed the Earth. Its body had nine segments, each bearing a pair of armour-plated legs, covered in thorns. It was an animal, but one that looked more like the concoction of a bad fantasy artist. <a href="http://burgess-shale.info/abstract/j-liu" title="">Jianni Liu</a> from Northwest University in Xi’an discovered this bundle of spines and named it <em>Diania</em><em>cactiformis</em> – the “walking cactus from Yunnan”. And she thinks that it sits at the roots of the most successful group of animals on the planet.</p><div data-embedid="4b651d8f-ea11-445f-9ea7-e776ca36eef3" id="insticator-embed-temp"></div><p>If Liu is right, <em>Diania</em> is one of the earliest relatives of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod" title="">arthropods</a> – the group that includes insects, spiders, crabs, and more. These species all share a segmented body, a hard external skeleton and jointed legs. They are life’s winners, the most diverse of all animal groups.</p><p> For plenty more about this weird ancient armored creature, check out <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/23/meet-diania-the-walking-cactus-an-early-cousin-of-lifes-great-winners/" title="">the rest of Ed's post</a></p><p> at Not Exactly Rocket Science. Related Content: Not Exactly Rocket Science: <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/06/01/death-from-disorder-scientists-uncover-secret-of-the-velvet-worm%e2%80%99s-quick-setting-slime/" title="">Death from disorder: scientists uncover secret of the velvet worm’s quick-setting slime</a></p><p> Not Exactly Rocket Science: <a href="/planet-earth/tardigrades-become-first-animals-to-survive-vacuum-of-space" title="">Tardigrades become first animals to survive vacuum of space</a></p><p> 80beats: <a href="/planet-earth/ancient-invertebrates-may-have-formed-chains-for-strength-in-numbers" title="">Ancient Invertebrates May Have Formed Chains for Strength in Numbers</a></p><p><em>Image: Nature</em></p>

Discover the fascinating walking cactus, Diania cactiformis, an ancient armored creature and potential ancestor of arthropods.

The Sciences

520 Million-Year-Old "Walking Cactus" Could Be Forerunner of Arthropods

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News

Andrew Moseman

Science

From DISCOVER blogger Ed Yong: Around 520 million years ago, a walking cactus roamed the Earth. Its body had nine segments, each bearing a pair of armour-plated legs, covered in thorns. It was an animal, but one that looked more like the concoction of a bad fantasy artist. Jianni Liu from Northwest University in Xi’an discovered this bundle of spines and named it Dianiacactiformis – the “walking cactus from Yunnan”. And she thinks that it sits at the roots of the most successful group of animals on the planet. If Liu is right, Diania is one of the earliest relatives of the arthropods – the group that includes insects, spiders, crabs, and more. These species all share a segmented body, a hard external skeleton and jointed legs. They are life’s winners, the most diverse of all animal groups. For plenty more about this weird ancient armored creature, check out the rest of Ed's post at Not Exactly Rocket Science. Related Content: Not Exactly Rocket Science: Death from disorder: scientists uncover secret of the velvet worm’s quick-setting slime Not Exactly Rocket Science: Tardigrades become first animals to survive vacuum of space 80beats: Ancient Invertebrates May Have Formed Chains for Strength in Numbers Image: Nature

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