A new find.
Recently, a find in the bottom of an ancient sea in the United Kingdom has shown some promise of answers to some of the questions scientist have about prehistoric life. Black Ink sacs have been found in the fossil remains of a squid like creature that did not break down and dry up like samples found in many other fossils. Somehow some soft tissue has remained in the fossils providing never found before information. This discovery has excited the scientist who study the prehistoric world.
Soft dark-brown tissue
What they found was a dark-brown pigment. The ink that squids and other animals contain. The dark-brown ink can be found in bird feathers, squids and even in our hair and skin. The ink has many uses for the animal kingdom such as giving them protection from the sun helping them blend in with their environment. Analyzing fossils was usually done by electron microscopy and by spectrographic analysis. The problem with the new find is that items that are black can be difficult to study due to the fact they soak up light. It is also difficult to dismantle the fossils. Doing so it is possible to ruin the molecular pigment of the molecular composition.
Even at 160 Million Years of age.
Even though the fossils are 160 million years old, the ink in them is still the same as it was. It a way the squid protected itself for predators or danger. The chemical compound in the ink found in modern day squids is identical to the ink of the ancient squids. This discovery has given scientist new material for studying our prehistoric world. It may help them learn just how life before we became part of the picture. It is enabling scientist to open a new window into the past where animals once lived but are now extinct. To help them learn how the prehistoric animals compare to the modern animal life of our world. Before, all that scientist could study and learn from were animal fossils and bones. Now they have found that there are also portions of soft tissue that has remained too.
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