Galeactena hemispherica

Description

Yunnan Province, China, ~518 million years old. *Galeactena* had a soft body with hardened spokes running down the sides and eight sets of **comb rows**, which were covered by hair-like cilia in life. This enabled the creature to swim through the water, well above the sea floor. *Galeactena* lacked the feeding tentacles of living ctenophores and may instead have fed by engulfing its prey. Created for the First Animals exhibition at Oxford University Museum of Natural History: www.oum.ox.ac.uk/firstanimals Model by Mighty Fossils: www.mightyfossils.com