Scientists discover our oldest known ancestor

london - Scientists have discovered the oldest known ancestor of man. It is a microscopic egg-shaped creature with a big mouth and anus without it 540 million years ago crept over the bottom of the sea.

Fossils of the animal which is called coronary Saccorhytus are 'extremely well preserved,' the researchers say in the journal Nature. The fossilized remains were discovered in central China.

According to the scientists concerns the most primitive example of the 'nieuwmondigen', ancestors of a large number of species, including vertebrates, the BBC writes. 'We think we can see the beginning of all species, including humans,' says Professor Simon Conway Morris against the British channel. He was one of the researchers involved. 'All nieuwmondigen had a common ancestor and we think we have found now. '

The Saccorhytus was about a millimeter in size and lived at the bottom of the sea between the sand grains. It is assumed that the animal did not have anus and that therefore its food thus also vomited again through his mouth.

Striking the animal is relatively large mouth with which he supposedly swallowed food particles or even other animals. It had a thin, flexible skin and muscles, suggesting that it is self propelling the seabed to squirm through. Also, the scientists found evidence that it possessed the Saccorhytus a primitive kind gills.