A Starfish from the Past: Scientists Discover Fossil of Remarkable Clone-like Creature with Unprecedented Ability to Regenerate Its Body

Scientists have recently discovered an intact fossil of a 155-million-year-old creature that had the remarkable ability to clone itself. This starfish-like creature, named Ophiactis hex, had six arms and was able to regenerate its body, a study on the discovery revealed. The unique fossil was unearthed in 2018 from a limestone deposit in Germany, which was once a deep lagoon filled with coral meadows and sponge beds.

The researchers who made this discovery named this new species of brittle star after the magical supercomputer from one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, known for its ability to think the unthinkable. Dr. Ben Thuy, a palaeontologist at Luxembourg’s Musee national d’histoire naturelle, wrote in the paper describing the discovery that while the biology and ecology of clonal fragmentation are relatively well understood, very little is known about its evolution and geological history.

The fact that this fossil is 155 million years old adds significance to the study as it sheds light on the evolution of fissiparity. The fossil is incredibly well-preserved, with all of its hook-shaped arm spines visible. It has been named after a magical supercomputer from one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, known for its ability to think the unthinkable. Dr. Thuy and his team mentioned in their study that while fossils of ophiuroids with regenerating individual arms are relatively common, cases of individuals with a regenerating body half are extremely rare, making this discovery even more unique.