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Analysis of more than 100 fossils of Spriggina floundersi indicates that the small marine animal had a preference for the right side more than half a billion years ago.
A paleontological discovery revealed that the preference for one side of the body may be much older than previously thought.
The Spriggina floundersi, a marine creature that lived approximately 550 million years ago, showed a tendency to curve to the right.
Researchers suggest that this characteristic may represent the oldest known record of behavioral laterality among animals.
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The conclusion was presented in a study published on July 9, 2026, in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
More than 100 fossils were analyzed during the research, which identified patterns related to the species’ movement.
Creature lived during the Ediacaran Period
The Spriggina inhabited the oceans during the Ediacaran Period, which occurred between approximately 635 million and 538 million years ago.
This interval preceded the emergence of various more complex animal groups known today.
The fossils of the species were found in southern Australia, in ancient layers that preserved marine organisms.
The creature had a flattened, elongated body divided into several segments.
The specimens found generally measured between two and three centimeters.
Some fossils, however, indicate that the species could reach approximately ten centimeters.
One of the ends had a curved shape and was interpreted as a possible structure similar to a primitive head.
More than 100 fossils were examined
The research was led by Scott Evans, from the American Museum of Natural History.
The scientists examined more than 100 specimens preserved in rocks and paleontological collections.
Some fossils had straight bodies. Others were curved in different directions.
The analysis revealed approximately twice as many impressions facing left on the rocks.
This detail needs to be interpreted in reverse.
The fossilization preserved the impression of the organism, indicating that the body was likely bent to the right.
The researchers concluded, therefore, that the Spriggina had a recurring preference for the right side.
Scientists ruled out the action of waves and storms
The team needed to confirm that the curvature had not been caused by the environment.
Waves, storms, or ocean currents could have displaced the bodies before fossilization.
The researchers examined layers covering dozens of square meters.
Hundreds of fossils were distributed in these areas and pointed in various directions.
An action caused by water would likely have oriented the bodies in a similar manner.
The specimens, however, showed different directions and levels of curvature.
The result indicated that the fossils recorded distinct moments of the animals’ movement while they were alive.
Preference for the right side suggests muscle control
Lateralization is related to the preference for a certain side of the body.
The most well-known example among humans involves the predominant use of the right or left hand.
This behavior can also be observed in primates, rats, frogs, and insects.
The tendency shown by the Spriggina suggests that the animal had muscles controlled in a coordinated manner.
Scientists believe that some type of nervous system was involved in this movement.
The species did not have hands or feet. The term “right-handed,” therefore, serves only as a comparison.
Discovery expands knowledge about the earliest animals
For decades, scientists debated whether the Spriggina could actually move.
Some of the doubts involved the possibility of the fossils being deformed after death.
The new analysis reinforces that the species was capable of controlling its own body.
The behavior demonstrates that primitive forms of lateralization existed more than half a billion years ago.
A simple mark preserved in the rock revealed information about movement, musculature, and the evolution of the nervous system.
The small marine creature may thus represent the first known animal with a favored side for movement.
Did you imagine that the preference for one side of the body could exist 550 million years ago? Share your opinion!
