NANJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Researchers discovered a hurdiid radiodont genera from the middle Cambrian in Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, which lived about 500 million years ago.

The new-found radiodont, named Cordaticaris striatus, was found by the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS).

This new taxon is about 30 cm long and the front of its body is covered by a huge heart-shaped shell that makes up almost half its length, according to the institute.

Radiodonts, early apex predators in the ocean, were iconic animals of the Cambrian Explosion. "The discovery in Shandong indicates that there are still more Cambrian fossils in China, helping humans explore the mystery of the origin of life," said Zhao Fangchen with NIGPAS.

Relevant results have been published in the journals Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoecology. Enditem

Artistic reconstruction of Cordaticaris striatus on the Cambrian sea（Image Credit: HUO Xiuquan）