The special chemistry of the tissues makes it more likely that the internal organs will become a fossil.
A new study from the University of Leicester has shed light on how the soft tissue fossils of ancient animals were formed. This was reported by Forbes.
Although most fossils are hard tissues such as bones, shells or teeth, sometimes scientists find soft tissues such as skin, muscles and other organs. But scientists are concerned about one question: why some internal organs are more often fossilized than others.
So, to find the answer to this question, the researchers conducted an experiment to study the chemical reactions inside the decaying fish for two and a half months.
Their findings show that the chemical composition of tissues determines the likelihood of internal organs being fossilized.
In order for soft tissue to become fossilized, its acidity must be below a threshold level, scientists say. At this level of acidity, the process of turning some of the soft tissues into a fossil begins.
At the same time, the researchers added that some organs, such as the digestive system, are already filled with stomach acid and its tissues are more likely to turn into stones.
“Some people find it strange that we have observed several months of decomposing fish, but it is important for paleontologists to understand how the decomposition process occurs in order to know which animal tissues are likely to fossilize and which what they will look like in the future. Our results provide an opportunity to answer the question of why ancient animals are often preserved, for example, the intestines and never turn into liver stones, “said by Sarah Gabbott from the University of Leicester.
It was previously reported that scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel created the world’s first “synthetic embryo” of mice.
French scientists recovered cells from dead pigs
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Source: korrespondent
