Heart of a 380 million year old fish found in a piece of Australian sediment He has the racing pulse of scientists. This organ is not only in remarkable condition, but may also provide clues to the evolution of jawed vertebrates.
The heart belonged to an extinct class of fish with armored jaws. Arthrodires are said to have flourished in the Devonian period between 419.2 million and 358.9 million years ago, and are 250 million years older than the ticker jawed fish heart that currently holds the title “oldest”.
s shaped heart
Although the fish is so primitive, the condition of One S. his heart in the shape of With two cameras the researchers observed surprising physical similarities between ancient swimmers and modern sharks.
“Evolution is often thought of as a series of smaller stages, but these ancient fossils suggest that There was a huge leap between jawless and jawless vertebratesProfessor Kate Trinajstick, a vertebrate paleontologist at Curtin University in Australia and a co-author of the new study. about the findings. “These fish literally have their hearts in their mouths and under their gills, just like sharks today,” Trinjastic said.
scientific observation
Scientists have seen great exact location of the limb Because they can see it in relation to the fossilized stomach, intestine and liver of fish, a rare occurrence.
“I can’t tell you how amazed I really was. Find the Beautifully Preserved 3D Heart and Other Organs in This Ancient Fossil”, said Trinjastic.
Paleontologists found the fossil during a 2008 expedition to the Gogo Formation, and it adds to a large number of information from the siteInsights into the transition including the origin of teeth and from wing to limb.
The Gogo Formation, a sedimentary deposit in the Kimberley region of Western Australia known as To preserve reef life from the Devonian period to the Paleozoic era for its rich fossil recordIncluding the remains of delicate tissue such as nerves and the fetus along with the umbilical cord.
