Paleontologists in Africa discovered a new species of sea lily that lived 150 million years ago. It was named after the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The scientists published the results of the study in the Royal Society Open Science.
The full name of the find is Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi. Scientists wrote that they gave her such a name in honor of the Ukrainian president's courage in defending free Ukraine.
In honor of Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, the sixth and current president of Ukraine for his courage and bravery in defending free Ukraine.
The discovered creature belongs to the genus of sea lilies Comatulida. It was found in the Blue Nile basin in the central-western part of Ethiopia. Comatulids are animals that belong to the phylum Echinoderms, the most famous representatives of which are sea urchins, starfish and water lilies.
Researchers report that the creature had ten massive arms that helped it grip the seabed. It also could regenerate, as evidenced by traces of restoration of one of the limbs - probably after a predator attack.
Thus, the fossil remains of Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi are the oldest and first example of tentacle regeneration in a fossil comatulid.
