Rare Fossil Reveals Ancient Leeches Weren't Bloodsuckers

Rare fossil reveals ancient leeches weren’t bloodsuckers

A newly described fossil reveals that leeches are at least 200 million years older than scientists previously thought, and that their earliest ancestors may have feasted not on blood, but on smaller marine creatures.

Rare fossil reveals ancient leeches weren't bloodsuckers

A newly described fossil reveals that leeches are at least 200 million years older than scientists previously thought, and that their earliest ancestors may have feasted not on blood, but on smaller marine creatures.

Ancient Fossil Shows Early Leeches Were Not Bloodsuckers

A groundbreaking discovery in paleontology has drastically rewritten the timeline and ecological understanding of leeches, the annelid worms recognized today for their parasitic blood-feeding behavior. A fossil unearthed from the Waukesha biota formation in Wisconsin pushes back the origin of leeches by an astonishing 200 million years, revealing clues about their ancient lifestyle and evolutionary adaptations that were previously unknown to sci…