Samsung's Galaxy S23 is part of the new Galaxy Compensation Scheme. Photographer: Angel ... [+] Garcia/Bloomberg 2023 Bloomberg Finance LPAfter 12 months of staggeringly high trade-in prices for old phones, Samsung is doubling down on its trade-in pricing with a new money-back scheme for Galaxy devices.The Korean company announced today that it will launch a new trade-in program that doesnt require the purchase of a new handset. The Galaxy Easy Compensation scheme will pay Korean Galaxy phone owners money for their old device, with values fluctuating depending on the condition. Crucially, no purchase of a new phone is needed.Samsung says that it will grade used phones on three scales; excellent, good, and recycle, with payouts adjusted depending on which category the used phone falls into. The company hasnt released pricing for phones yet, but the list of accepted devices might give us some insight.Galaxy S23Galaxy S22Galaxy S21Galaxy S20Galaxy Galaxy Z Fold5Galaxy Fold4Galaxy Fold3Galaxy Z Flip5Galaxy Flip4Galaxy Flip3These are all newer phones that were released in the last five years and, crucially, theyre all still within their update window. They all receive some combination of security patches and operating system updates. The scheme, which launches on January 14th, is only available in Korea for now, with expansion to other countries planned for the future.MORE FOR YOUIn recent sales, Samsung has valued some of these phones highly when trading in for a new device. For example, the company was offering $800 for the Galaxy S22 Ultra when buying the Z Fold 6. It will be interesting to see what the Korean company will pay for these devices when a new phone isnt being bought.It seems that Samsung is planning to resell these devices, with the announcement explicitly stating that the company plans to purchase used smartphones that customers do not use and use them for future resale. Presumably, this means the recovered handsets will be refurbished.Samsung Wants To Ditch Android's ReputationI dont know how much value there is in a five-year-old Galaxy S20, but I can see newer handsets still fetching a decent price. Especially with Samsungs new seven-year guarantee of software support. This also explains why Samsung extended software support last year to at least four years of updates for devices released after 2019.Samsung is clear, it wants its Galaxy phones to be as valuable as iPhones, regardless of how old the device is. Samsung Electronics plans to preserve the market value of Galaxy smartphones, the press release explains. That is a tall order for any Android phone.With that said, the Korean company may be inching closer to rehabilitating the image of Android handsets in the public consciousness. Recent data from Sell Cell revealed that Samsung phones are depreciating at a slower rate with every release. For example, the Galaxy S22 series lost on average 66.7% of its value in the 12 months after launch. However, the Galaxy S23 only lost 61% in the same time frame, which is a 5.6% improvement.A dedicated trade-in portal, which officially states what a phone is worth from Samsungs position, adds some security to buyers who typically see the price of their expensive phones crater as new handsets are launched. But that security depends on what Samsung is willing to pay for said devices. We will have to see if Samsung maintains that high pricing for old phones when a new device isnt bought.

Something to look forward to: Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch several new products this year, beginning with updated 13-inch and 15-inch iPad Air models, as well as the entry-level iPad 11. Additional devices expected to debut include a revamped iPhone SE, the next-generation Mac Pro, and an all-new HomePod. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman revealed that the new 13-inch and 15-inch iPad Air models will be powered by the M4 chip, the same processor found in the MacBook Pro and iMac launched last year. Another upcoming iPad, the iPad 11, is expected to launch around the same time. While it is unlikely to feature major design changes compared to the iPad 10, it will come equipped with the A17 Pro SoC and 8GB of RAM.Apple is also planning to roll out several AI features to its current-generation iPads. According to Gurman, Apple Intelligence will be available on all eligible iPad models following the release of the iPad 11. These features will require at least an M1 chip or the A17 Pro, meaning only the latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini will qualify for the update.The 13-inch and 15-inch models of the M4 MacBook Air are also expected to launch this year. Reports suggest that they are already in production, codenamed J713 and J715, respectively, indicating a possible release in the first half of the year. Following the launch of the M4 MacBook Air, Apple will reportedly shift its focus to the M5 MacBook Pro, although no details about the new model are available yet.The next-generation iPhone SE is also slated to debut this year, featuring an updated design, a faster processor, and integration with Apple Intelligence features. Additionally, the company is expected to refresh the Mac Studio with new hardware sometime in 2025. Another product in development is an entry-level iPad Magic Keyboard, aimed at improving productivity for iPad users.Apple's ambitions for the smart home market in 2025 are also coming into focus. The company is reportedly working on a new smart home hub equipped with a 7-inch display. The device will integrate Siri and Apple Intelligence features to assist with household tasks and facilitate video calls. Initially planned for a March release, the product may take longer to reach the market. // Related Stories

In response to new export restrictions placed on AI GPUs, Nvidia posted a scathing blog criticizing the outgoing Biden-Harris administration. The administrations Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion largely targets China with restrictions on AI GPUs, according to Newsweek.Nvidia disagrees. While cloaked in the guise of an anti-China measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance U.S. security. The new rules would control technology worldwide, including technology that is already widely available in mainstream gaming PCs and consumer hardware. Rather than mitigate any threat, the new Biden rules would only weaken Americas global competitiveness, undermining the innovation that has kept the U.S. ahead, wrote Nvidias vice president of government of affairs Ned Finkle.Recommended VideosNvidias comment on hardware that is available in mainstream gaming PCs is interesting. Nvidia makes some of the best graphics cards you can buy, but the new restrictions are largely focused on AI. In particular, large-scale AI chip orders. According to the rule, restrictions kick in on chip orders with collective computation power up to roughly 1,700 advanced GPUs, noting that the overwhelming majority of orders are under that mark and, therefore, not subject to restrictions.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Focus Taiwan reports that 18 of the U.S. key allies arent subject to any restrictions, either. These tier-one countries include Taiwan, Germany, Canada, Japan, Norway, and the United Kingdom, among others. Tier-three countries see the heaviest restrictions, including countries like China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.As an interim rule, the restrictions arent enforceable for 120 days, and they wont fully go into effect for a year. Nvidia says that it looks forward to a return to policies that strengthen American leadership with the upcoming Trump administration. As the first Trump Administration demonstrated, America wins through innovation, competition, and by sharing our technologies with the world not by retreating behind a wall of government overreach, the blog post reads.In addition to AI chip restrictions, the new rule also places restrictions on closed-weight models. These are AI models that have some proprietary weights and include models like GPT-4 thats behind the wildly popular ChatGPT. The Biden administration says that the new rules wont place any restrictions on open-weight models.With mere days left in the Biden-Harris administration and a generous 120-day window for public comment on the new rules, its hard to imagine that these AI restrictions will remain in place. Nvidia certainly doesnt want them to, saying that global progress is now in jeopardy while praising the first Trump administration for laying the foundation for Americas current strength and success in AI.Editors Recommendations

Lawyers representing the class action said that Apple excluded potential rivals from competing for customers on devices running its iOS operating system by forcing developers to sell their apps exclusively through its own App Store and charging commissions of 30% for purchases.

chips and dip Biden administration puts quotas on global AI chip sales While close US allies get unrestricted AI chip access, the rest of the world has numerical limits. Benj Edwards Jan 13, 2025 11:18 am | 1 Credit: SEAN GLADWELL via Getty Images Credit: SEAN GLADWELL via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreOn Monday, the US government announced a new round of regulations on global AI chip exports, dividing the world into roughly three tiers of access. The rules create quotas for about 120 countries and allow unrestricted access for 18 close US allies while maintaining existing bans on China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.AI-accelerating GPU chips, like those manufactured by Nvidia, currently serve as the backbone for a wide variety of AI model deployments, such as chatbots like ChatGPT, AI video generators, self-driving cars, weapons targeting systems, and much more. The Biden administration fears that those chips could be used to undermine US national security.According to the White House, "in the wrong hands, powerful AI systems have the potential to exacerbate significant national security risks, including by enabling the development of weapons of mass destruction, supporting powerful offensive cyber operations, and aiding human rights abuses."The new rules build on previous chip controls from September 2022 and October 2023. The regulations will take effect in 120 days, extending into the incoming Trump administration.A game of numbersThe new regulations set specific numerical limits on AI chip exports. While first-tier countries (the 18 key US allies) face no restrictions, countries in the second tier can receive up to 50,000 so-called "advanced computing chips," with the possibility to double that cap to 100,000 if they sign technology security agreements with the US.For most buyers, orders up to 1,700 advanced chips will not require licenses or count against these national capsa policy designed to speed up purchases by universities, medical institutions, and research organizations.The Commerce Department also announced two new verification systems for trusted buyers. Companies based in allied nations can apply for "Universal Verified End User" (UVEU) status, allowing them to deploy up to 7 percent of their global AI computing capacity in individual countries. Companies outside restricted nations can seek "National Verified End User" status to purchase computing power equivalent to 320,000 advanced GPUs over two years.According to Reuters, Cloud service providers received special consideration under the rules. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon can apply for global authorizations to build data centers, bypassing country quotas after meeting security and human rights requirements. However, US-headquartered providers must maintain at least 50 percent of their AI computing power inside the US, with no more than 25 percent outside tier-one countries.The rules also introduce controls on AI model weightsthe neural network files that determine how AI models work. The regulations restrict transfers of these weights for "closed-weight" models to non-trusted actors while allowing unrestricted sharing of open-weight model information.Nvidia respondsNvidia wasted no time reacting to the news on Monday, calling the regulations "sweeping overreach" that restricts technology found in common gaming PCs. Others in the tech industry are not pleased with the regulations, either. Last week, Oracle warned that chip export restrictions could push the global AI and GPU market toward Chinese competitors.Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo disagrees with that position, according to Reuters, and connected the new chip export rules to maintaining US technological leadership. "The US leads AI nowboth AI development and AI chip design, and it's critical that we keep it that way," she said.Benj EdwardsSenior AI ReporterBenj EdwardsSenior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 1 Comments

The uncovered whitebark pine treesGregory PedersonA 5900-year-old whitebark pine forest has been discovered due to the melting of alpine ice in the Rocky mountains. Scientists found more than 30 trees approximately 3100 metres above sea level 180 metres higher than the present tree line while carrying out an archaeological survey on the Beartooth plateau in Wyoming.This offers us a window into past conditions at high elevations, says Cathy Whitlock at Montana State University. Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) dont grow at this elevation now, so these ones had to grow at a time when the climate was warmer, she says. AdvertisementTo understand the history of the lost forest, Whitlocks team analysed their rings and used carbon dating to age it. They found that the trees lived 5950 to 5440 years ago, a period of steadily decreasing temperatures.Ice core data from places like Antarctica and Greenland suggest that these falling temperatures were influenced by centuries-long volcanic eruptions in the northern hemisphere. These produced enough aerial sediment to cut sunlight and lower global temperatures until the environment was too cold for these higher-elevation trees to survive.While laying flat, the newly discovered trees are in exceptional condition, indicating that they were rapidly preserved after death. Although they lack evidence of being covered by avalanches, they show marks that align with the expansion of the present ice patch. The latest science news delivered to your inbox, every day.Sign up to newsletterClimate models suggest that additional sustained volcanic eruptions in Iceland produced further drops in temperature 5100 years ago, says team member Joe McConnell at the Desert Research Institute in Nevada. These lower temperatures expanded the ice patch and ensured the fallen trees were entombed in ice and protected from the elements for the next 5000 years, he says.Only in the past few decades have temperatures risen enough to release the trees from their icy crypt. The current tree line is likely to shift upslope with increasing temperatures in the coming decades, says Whitlock.This discovery was possible because of anthropogenic climate change rising temperatures are now exposing areas that have been buried by ice for millennia, she says. While such discoveries are scientifically interesting, they are also a sad reminder of how fragile alpine ecosystems are to climate change.The study is a very elegant and careful use of a valuable time capsule that tells us not only about these mountain forests 6000 years ago, but about the climate conditions that allowed them to exist, says Kevin Anchukaitis at the University of Arizona.These trees arent the first such finding researchers have unearthed from Rocky mountain ice patches. Previous work found fragments of wooden shafts used for arrows and darts, says Whitlock. One shaft was radiocarbon dated to more than 10,000 years ago, telling us that people have been hunting in high-elevation environments for millennia, she says.Journal reference:PNAS DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2412162121Topics:

Los Angeles is bracing for high winds that could worsen ongoing wildfires.The fires have burned 40,000 acres and destroyed 12,300 structures. Authorities reported 24 dead.Evacuation orders are in effect for more than 92,000 people as fires threaten more areas.After nearly a week of wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, the area is bearing down for more high winds on Monday that threaten to spread the flames even further.The fires have burned through more than 40,000 acres in Los Angeles County, displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, and killed at least 24 people. More than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, local authorities have said.Firefighters made some progress containing the blazes over the weekend the Palisades Fire, the largest, is 14% contained, and the Eaton Fire, the second-largest, is 33% contained as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire, a state agency.But high winds are forecast to pick up again Monday and Tuesday, with gusts up to 70 miles an hour creating "extremely dangerous fire weather conditions" across coastal southern California, the National Weather Service said. The NWS issued a "particularly dangerous situation red flag warning" for parts of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties through Wednesday. The red flag warning signals fire danger. Though the winds aren't expected to reach the same highs as last week, they still pose "a high risk for large fires with potential for very rapid spreading of any fires that may develop."The fires are predicted to become the worst natural disaster in US history, and the death toll will likely rise, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday."I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope," Newsom told NBC's Meet the Press. "I've got search-and-rescue teams out. We've got cadaver dogs out. And there's likely to be a lot more."Around 92,000 people near the Palisades and Eaton fires are under evacuation orders, and another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Monday morning press conference. Palisades Fire A firefighter poured water over a structure in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Sunday. Winds are threatening to spread the fires again this week. Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica has burned through over 23,700 acres and was 14% contained as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.The cause of the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, is still under investigation. It threatens to spread into Brentwood, Encino, and Westwood.The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has reported eight deaths tied to the Palisades fire so far.Eaton Fire The Eaton Fire tore through the neighborhood of Altadena in Los Angeles. Chimneys of homes were left behind on Sunday. David McNew/Getty Images The Eaton Fire, which has devastated parts of Pasadena and Altadena since it began on Tuesday, has now burned through more than 14,100 acres, according to Cal Fire. It is 33% contained as of Monday morning."In my career, I've never seen the amount of devastation and destruction that exists here. So, a lot of work. It's going to be long-term," Ernie Villa, an operations section chief for the California Interagency Incident Management Team, said at a Sunday press conference.The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has reported 16 deaths tied to the Eaton fire so far.This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.

CES 2025 has come and gone, setting the tone for what tech advancements we can expect for the rest of the year. A slew of desktops and laptops are coming around the corner with all the new chips from AMD, Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. And for better or worse, AI continues to mature and integrate into almost every piece of technology. Plus, so much smart home, camera, and audio innovation is on the horizon. Health tech, AR, MR, and VR continue to make steady progress, too. Speaking of health tech, theres a subsection thats been overlooked for a while, and its slowly but surely taking a more prominent place in the spotlightsex tech. Yes, the sex toys designed to tease, titillate, and ultimately achieve the big O. And as the stigma around sex tech continues to wane, we see more innovation in the space, including more interactive play, improved teledildonics, and proprietary new ways of vibration. Ohdokis The Handy Sherri L Smith Sure, the name is very tongue-in-cheek, but it doesnt negate that The Handy from Ohdoki, an automatic interactive stroker, is an impressive device. A sex toy designed for penis owners, the Handy is a brushless motor with a swappable silicone sleeve attachment. Ohdoki even offers a metal arm attachment for a completely hands-free experience. In action, the motor can be set by speed and stroke length, which comes in handy (no pun intended) in case you want to focus on certain areas of the penis. The free companion app allows for long-distance couples play, provided both ends have a strong Wi-Fi connection. However, where The Handy truly shines is its wealth of interactive content. There are currently 30,000 pieces of content that consist of traditional adult content, VR apps, and movies that Handy owners can use. And with an open API, the library is continuously growing. And if you want to spice up the feeling, OhDoki has 11 different sleeves to choose from, or you can strap third-party sleeves on for highly customizable, interactive fun. Ohdokis The Oh! Sherri L Smith Never let it be said that Ohdoki only thinks about folks with penises. The Scandinavian company also has something for people with vaginas called The Oh!. (Seriously, Im loving these names!) The Oh! is a smart sex toy that uses sound waves instead of haptic or traditional vibration motors. Using the companys ResoTouch technology, the device utilizes a voice coil motor that uses real-time audio signal processing to control the motors vibrations. Like most toys of its ilk, The Oh! can be used for solo or couple play and offline or online play via the free companion app. Speaking of sound, you can also use Spotify and other audio and video content to create a different experience as the device synchronizes to the beat. And if you want to engage in some couple play, you can pair two Ohs! or bring a Handy into the mix whether youre in the same room or thousands of miles away. However, my favorite part of The Oh! is its design, as it has a premium minimalist look that doesnt scream, Look, Im a sex toy!Lovense Mission 2 Sherri L Smith I own a few Lovense toys. I look forward to upgrading to the upcoming Lush 4 when it debuts later this year. But now that Ive seen the Mission 2, I wouldnt mind adding it to my ever-expanding collection. The Mission 2 is a suction cup vibrating dildo designed for G-Spot stimulation that tops out at 6,500 vibrations per minute. You can stick it to just about any hard surface and use it at will. And thanks to its connector, you can position the toy at a 180-degree angle to hit just the right spots. Dont want to stick to a wall, floor, or chair? Thats cool; use it old-school and keep everything well in hand. But Mission 2 really caught my attention when I learned about its Touch Sense technology, which generates stronger vibrations the deeper the Mission 2 is inserted. To understand how this works, Lovense has Flappy Jumpy, an exclusive game based on Flappy Bird, where you have to keep the character in the air via your thrusts. But where Lovense has always shined is its teledildonic capabilities. The Mission 2 can be used in tandem with recently launched Solace Pro, a sex toy for penises. But thats not all, as Mission 2 also plays nice with the nipple-centric Gemini or the Gush, a penis ring. Whatever you pair Mission 2 with will respond in real-time stroke for stroke.Lovesense Solace Pro Sherri L Smith I mentioned the Solace Pro in the previous entry. Lovense describes it as an AI-powered oral sex machine. When I saw it at the show, the device used a more neutral SFW (well as safe for work as an oral sex machine can be) sleeve. However, Lovense offers sleeves that simulate more realistic orifices. The Solace Pro offers precision at up to 300 strokes per minute. That stroking action is necessary to sync up with all the compatible VR and traditional adult content. It can also synchronize with music. One of my favorite things about Lovense products is the voice sync action in the free companion app. That means that your partner can stimulate your voice. Think of it as a 21st-century love letter. The toy also has an adjustable desk mount that allows users to adjust the device at a 180-degree angle. However, as feature-rich as the Solace Pro is, the best thing about the Solace Pro, in my opinion, is its ability to pair with other Lovense products. I recently learned that you can daisy chain up to 100 products simultaneously, which is one hell of a party. Motorbunny PlayMate Fluffer Haptic Relay Plug-in Sherri L Smith Ive been a gamer since I was a wee little girl. But in almost 45 years, Ive never played a game like this, but Im eager to try. Motorbunny, maker of straddle-style sex machines, has found a way to make some of your favorite video games a little XXX-rated. Say hello to the Motorbunny PlayMate Fluffer Haptic Relay Plug-in. Its a USB-C dongle reminiscent of the Nintendo 64s rumble pack. And it kind of works in the same way. Plug the Fluffer into a PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox Series X/S (or any USB-C controller), and it takes info from the accelerometer and haptic information and relays it to up to six Bluetooth-connected Motorbunny devices, including the companys collection of sex machines. If youve ever wanted one of your favorite video games to take your sex level to the next level, the Motorbunny PlayMate Fluffer is the way to go.

House with a Flying Roof / Lorenz BachmannSave this picture! Lukas MurerHouses, SustainabilityWinterthur, SwitzerlandArchitects: Lorenz BachmannAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:130 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Lukas Murer More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The spatial idea is a room on the roof, defined only by horizontal elements: the floor and the two roof surfaces. On all sides, there are views down into the garden and across the hilly landscape. The room is sheltered and, at the same time, seemingly endless.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!It is Lara and Marcel's retreat. Here they play their musical instruments or read a book in peace. There are flaps in the floor with sufficient storage space for everything they want to do in the room. The stairs, a roof window and a hole in the fixed glazing connect the room with the house, the garden and the sky.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The gable roof cantilevers on both sides, create two sheltered outdoor spaces. On one side, there is an entrance area where bicycles and toys can be kept. On the other side, there is a new kitchen terrace that connects the elevated ground floor with the garden.Save this picture!The photovoltaic in-roof system protects against the weather and supplies the house with energy. The black PV panels are held on all sides by small metal hooks.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeLorenz BachmannOfficeMaterialsWoodGlassMaterials and TagsPublished on January 13, 2025Cite: "House with a Flying Roof / Lorenz Bachmann" 13 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025494/house-with-a-flying-roof-lorenz-bachmann&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

With so many elusive creatures occupying the forgotten corners of Earth, scientists are always knee-deep in mysteries that form the fabric of the animal kingdom. A big part of the puzzle is understanding how certain animals have developed distinct characteristics from ancestors that lived hundreds of millennia ago; for one group of animals, Ecdysozoa, the debate surrounding the ancient evolution of their nervous systems is now settled thanks to a new study published in Science Advances.What Are Ecdysozoans?Ecdysozoa is a group of animals that includes arthropods (insects, crustaceans), nematodes, and other worm-like organisms. One of the defining hallmarks of ecdysozoan animals is ecdysis, the process of molting, or shedding, their cuticle, an exoskeleton that covers their body like a protective set of armor.Lately, though, scientists have been more concerned with the internal structure of Ecdysozoa, particularly relating to the unclear origins of their nervous systems. The new study resolves pressing questions about this mystery.Previously, scientists were unsure exactly how the ventral nerve cord (a vital component of invertebrates central nervous system) developed in ecdysozoans. However, a close look at Cambrian-age (541 million years to 485 million years ago) fossils of Scalidophora, a subgroup of Ecdysozoa found in marine environments, has revealed the source of these animals nervous system structure.The Nervous System ConundrumThe central nervous systems of ecdysozoans, which includes the brain and ventral nerve cord, have perplexed scientists in the past. This is because some phyla within the group contain different arrangements of ventral nerve cords; this is evident in animals of Scalidophora, which includes priapulid worms, loriciferans, and kinorhynchs.Priapulids only have a single ventral nerve cord, while loriciferans and kinorhynchs have paired nerve cords. This begs the question: did the ancestor of all ecdysozoan animals have a single or paired ventral nerve cord? The researchers were also interested in knowing why loriciferans and kinorhynchs share a similar nervous system design with arthropods despite entering different lines of evolution at some point.Connections to a Common AncestorInvestigating fossils gave researchers the answers they were looking for. They studied fossils representing ancestral Scalidophorans from the early Cambrian-age Kuanchuanpu Biota and Chengjiang Biota, as well as Ottoia prolifica (an ancient priapulid-like worm); the researchers found structures running along the ventral side of these organisms, closely aligning with the single ventral nerve cords seen in modern priapulids.Based on this discovery, nematoids and panarthropods, which includes arthropods, tardigrades (water bears), and onychophorans (velvet worms), also evolved from a common ancestor that likely had a single nerve cord.This leads us to propose that the common ancestor of all ecdysozoans possessed a single ventral nerve cord, said Chema Martin-Durn, a biologist at Queen Mary University of London, in a press release. The paired nerve cords observed in arthropods, loriciferans, and kinorhynchs likely evolved independently, representing derived traits.The Advantages of a Segmented BodyAnother important trait shared by some ecdysozoans is a segmented body, found in loriciferans, kinorhynchs, and panarthropods. This body plan provides major advantages for these animals; one 2019 study about segmentation in arthropods described the trait as a Swiss-Army knife-like specialization of appendages that allows arthropods to perform a variety of functions that ultimately aid their survival in many environments. The researchers of the new study claim that this structural build may have co-evolved with nervous system modifications.The emergence of paired nerve cords likely facilitated greater coordination of movement, particularly in segmented animals, said Mara Herranz, a marine biologist at Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, Spain, in the release. During the Precambrian-Cambrian transition, changes in the nervous and muscular systems were likely tied to the development of appendages, enabling more complex locomotion.With this updated perspective on ecdysozoans, scientists now have a more clear understanding of these animals evolutionary history, especially regarding how their nervous systems first arose before the various lineages diverged.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Science Advances. Preservation and early evolution of scalidophoran ventral nerve cordNational Library of Medicine. Ancient origins of arthropod moulting pathway componentsiNaturalist. Priapulid WormsiNaturalist. LoriciferansiNaturalist. Mud DragonsNational Library of Medicine. Developing an integrated understanding of the evolution of arthropod segmentation using fossils and evo-devoJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.