Protulophila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Protulophila |
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Protulophila is a type of tiny sea animal. It belongs to a group called Hydrozoa. These animals live in groups, forming a colony. They often share a home with other creatures, like serpulid tube worms. These worms are a kind of annelid, or segmented worm, that builds a hard, shell-like tube.
Scientists first found Protulophila as fossils in 1901. For a long time, everyone thought this animal had died out about four million years ago. But in 2014, something amazing happened! Scientists found living Protulophila specimens. They were hidden in museum samples collected in New Zealand in 2008. This makes Protulophila a "living fossil" – an animal that was thought to be extinct but was later found alive.
The Discovery of Living Protulophila
Before 2014, scientists only knew about Protulophila from fossils. These fossils were found in places like Europe and the Middle East. They showed that Protulophila lived from about 150 million years ago until 4 million years ago.
Then, in 2014, scientists from National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) found younger fossils. These were less than one million years old. They were discovered in Whanganui, New Zealand. This made the scientists wonder if Protulophila might still be alive in New Zealand.
Dr. Dennis Gordon, a marine biologist, led a search. They looked through NIWA's collection of sea animals. They found Protulophila specimens inside preserved tube worms. These worms had been collected alive in 2008. They came from 20 meters deep in Queen Charlotte Sound, near Picton, New Zealand. The scientists now plan to collect new samples. This will help them study the animal's genes.
Protulophila Life Cycle
Most colonial Hydrozoa, like Protulophila, have two main life stages. So far, all the Protulophila found are in their hydroid stage. In this stage, many small polyps are connected together. They form a single colony.
It is likely that Protulophila also has a medusoid stage. This stage looks like a tiny, floating jellyfish. However, scientists have not yet found this jellyfish-like form. It's also possible that the medusoid stage has been found but not recognized as Protulophila. Dr. Gordon explained that many hydroid species have two stages. Often, these two stages have never been matched up. He hopes this discovery might solve two puzzles at once!
Named Species
Only one species within the genus Protulophila has been officially named:
- Protulophila gestroi Rovereto, found in Italy from the Pliocene period.
