Fossil Of Placoderm A Clue To Possible Origin Of Sex (Though Not Reproduction)
Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 19:16
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A pregnant fossil fish at the Natural History Museum in London has shed light on the possible origin of sex, according to a study published today in the journal Nature by an international team including Museum scientists. The fossil is an adult placoderm, an extinct group of armored fish, and it contains a 5cm-long embryo. It is dated to the Upper Devonian period 350 million years ago and was found in the Gogo formation of western Australia. The fish species is Incisoscutum ritchiei and this specimen is one of the earliest examples of a pregnant vertebrate and shows that internal fertilisation, or sex, started far sooner than previously thought. read more
Read the whole article on Scientific Blogging
More from Scientific Blogging
Related
- Mosasaur fossil at Natural History Museum of L.A. County re-explores 85-million-year-old sea monsterTue, 10 Aug 2010, 11:23:45 EDT
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County makes scientific history with 'pregnant plesiosaur'Thu, 11 Aug 2011, 17:32:44 EDT
- New fossil amphibian provides earliest widespread evidence of terrestrial invertebratesMon, 15 Mar 2010, 14:31:19 EDT
- Where we split from sharks: Common ancestor comes into focusWed, 13 Jun 2012, 18:43:15 EDT
- Oldest fossil brain found in Kansas and imaged in FranceTue, 3 Mar 2009, 10:47:51 EST