Discovered Fossils of Creatures Sealed in Volcanic Ash
A team of scientists used 3D imaging to reconstruct the anatomy of Cambrian trilobites that were buried under layers of volcanic ash.
Scientists have revealed extraordinary images of the most anatomically complete specimens of Cambrian trilobites ever found. The pristine fossils, dating back between 541 million and 485 million years ago, were discovered in 2015 under layers of volcanic ash from the Cambrian Tatelt Formation in Morocco and published in the journal Science (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl4540).
This volcanic "burial" preserved the soft tissues of the extinct arthropods, revealing anatomical features never seen before. Because the trilobites were encased in hot ash and seawater, their bodies fossilized very rapidly as the ash turned into rock, meeting a fate similar to the inhabitants of Pompeii following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, according to a press release from the Natural History Museum in London.
What does the discovery provide?
"These new specimens have not only preserved the antennae and walking legs, but also the mouth structures and even the entire digestive system in three dimensions," researchers said to. The researchers unearthed two species of trilobites at the site: Protolenus (Hupeolenus) sp. and Gigoutella mauretanica, dating back 509 million years.
Currently, about 22,000 species of trilobites are known, but their fossils have been preserved in fragments, making it difficult to study them in depth. However, the new specimens contain all body parts, from the digestive tract to hair-like structures along the appendages.
