Three-eyed shrimps with pre-dinosaur era ancestors emerge in Arizona

Officials at the Wupatki National Monument in Arizona reported finding hundreds of pre-historic three-eyed dinosaur shrimps that reportedly hatched due to the Arizona monsoon. The tadpole-like creatures literally have three eyes and were found swimming in a temporary nearby lake, as per Live Science's report. These creatures are called pre-historic as their origins date back to the dinosaur era and their physiology hasn't changed much ever since. 

What are the dinosaur shrimps?

Also called 'Triops', meaning  "three eyes" in Greek, experts believe that the dinosaur shrimps evolved from their ancestors who lived in the Devonian period, which lasted from 419 million to 359 million years ago. As per Central Michigan University, the dinosaurs, on the other hand, did not emerge till about 252 million years ago, which was called the Triassic period, reported Live Science. 

Although experts say that these creatures haven't changed much as compared to their ancestors due to the ability of their eggs to remain dormant for several decades. Once the region becomes favourable enough due to heavy rain, the shrimps hatch, mature and lay eggs for their next generation. The Central Michigan University was further reported saying that these creatures belong to the family Triopsidae, has two genera- Triops and Lepidurus and can be found in 12 different species.

Moreover, these crustaceans are the size of tadpoles in the early stage but can grow up to four centimetres long, as per Central Michigan University. Interestingly, their means of reproduction does not depend on just male or female partner as the Triops are hermaphrodites and have both male and female sexual organs. 

Findings at the monument

As per officials at the monument, they initially didn't believe when tourists at the monument's ball court reported the findings about the three-eyed shrimps. Experts of the University said that the creatures sprung out due to the moisture-filled environment that was created by short but intense rainfall. After hatching, the life cycle of the shrimps began instantly and matured in just over a week, as per the University experts. Although, the experts are unsure how many eggs the mature shrimps were able to lay for their next-generation before they got consumed by birds like ravens and nighthawks. 

Image: Twitter/@LaikenJordahl