518-Million-Year-Old Fossil Rewrites the Origin of Starfish

A 518-million-year-old fossil found in Yunnan, China, suggests the common ancestor of starfish and acorn worms fed with tentacles rather than being a burrowing worm. The analysis of 505 anatomical traits across 100 taxa places Yujingia glutenotunica near the root of ambulacrarians.

• Specimens of Yujingia measure 8 to 22 mm long
• Study analyzed 505 anatomical traits across 100 taxa
• Two sets of appendages: feather-like feeding tentacles and a holdfast
• Findings published in Current Biology on September 16, 2026