A PAIR of 430 million-year-old mollusc fossils found in Herefordshire, and named "Punk" and "Emo" because of their 'hairstyle' tentacles, are making waves in the world of science, writes STEPHEN BEECH of SWNS.

Researchers from the UK, the US and Germany used 3D imaging to recreate the creatures and say the newly discovered artefacts show that early lifeforms were "more complex and adaptable" than previously known.

Spiky Punk resembles worm-like molluscs with long spines, but it also has a broad foot and gills.

Emo, similarly worm-like with a long body and spines, also features shells and a compressed body.

Analysis of the newly discovered fossils is challenging long-held views on the early origins of molluscs.

Found at an undisclosed location in the county, they date from the Silurian period and shed light on molluscs’ complex evolutionary history and how they moved.

Scientists say the discovery challenges the longstanding view that early molluscs were basic and primitive.

Instead, the "rebellious" fossils – given the scientific names Punk ferox and Emo vorticaudum – show they had some "unique" features and were quite complex and adaptable in their forms and habitats.

The study, published in the journal Nature and which included scientists from Yale University in the US, was led by Dr Mark Sutton, of the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London.

“Molluscs are one of the largest and most diverse animal groups on Earth. However, early Aculiferan molluscs are much less well-known than some of their relatives," he said.

"We have limited information about this group, and for a very long time, we assumed they were rather basic, simple and primitive.

“Retrieving fossils that are so exceptionally well preserved and reveal details of the soft tissues is extremely rare.

"We have been able to create ‘virtual fossils’ – 3D digital models – providing us with a gold mine of information and helping us understand that the branch of molluscan evolution containing Emo and Punk was much more evolutionarily rich and diverse than we thought; as much as other mollusc groups.”

As well as from Yale, Dr Sutton worked with researchers from Oxford and Leicester universities, plus the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Germany,

X-ray scanning provided a detailed look at the internal structures without causing external damage.

The researchers then carefully ground the fossils down in very thin layers, taking photos at each step to create a 3D image of the external features.

They found both fossils had smooth undersides, suggesting they lived on the sea floor, and both possessed unique features and unconventional movement methods.

Dr Sutton said Emo is preserved in a folded posture, suggesting it moved like an inchworm, using its spines to grip and push forward.

How Punk was able to move remains unclear, but it had a ridge-like foot, unlike any of today's molluscs.

“The names Punk and Emo were actually our initial pet names, inspired by some of their unique features and individuality," added Dr Sutton.

"Punk in particular, with its spiky appearance, clearly resembles a rebellious punk rocker – and we thought Emo complemented it well."