Paleontologists make 'one in a million' discovery of soft tissue preserved in 450-million-year-old fossil
Paleontologists have uncovered a super-rare 450-million-year-old fossil containing preserved soft tissue from a prehistoric sea creature.
Velocity timeline
How fast coverage is spreading — measured hourly from article rate × source diversity. How this works →
The brief
Scientists have discovered a fossil of the sea creature Dendrocrinus simcoensis featuring astonishingly well-preserved soft tissues. The specimen dates back 450 million years, placing its origin 200 million years before the dinosaurs.
Coverage from Phys.org, Gizmodo, EurekAlert!, and La Brújula Verde emphasizes the rarity of the find, with one report describing the discovery as 'one in a million.' The focus remains on the unusual preservation of non-mineralized tissue over such a vast geological timescale. Future attention will likely center on the specific characteristics of the Dendrocrinus simcoensis fossil and the implications of this preservation for paleontological study.
Synthesized by Newsylist from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 35m ago.
Quick answers
What species was discovered?
The fossil belongs to the sea creature Dendrocrinus simcoensis.
How old is the fossil?
The fossil is 450 million years old.
Why is this discovery significant?
It contains super-rare preserved soft tissue and dates to a period 200 million years before dinosaurs.
Coverage (5)
- Astonishing 450-Million-Year-Old Fossil Preserving Soft Tissue Is "One In A Million" IFLScience · 1d ago
- Dendrocrinus simcoensis EurekAlert! · 1d ago
- Astonishingly Well-Preserved Soft Tissues Discovered in a Fossil 200 Million Years Older Than Dinosaurs La Brújula Verde · 1d ago
- Scientists Find Super-Rare Soft Tissue Fossil From 450-Million-Year-Old Sea Creature Gizmodo · 1d ago
- Paleontologists make 'one in a million' discovery of soft tissue preserved in 450-million-year-old fossil Phys.org · 1d ago broke it first
People, places & organizations
Topics
Related trends
Megalodon’s legendary life revealed by fossil rediscovery
The rediscovery of a long-lost Megalodon fossil is renewing debates and confirming the massive scale of the prehistoric shark.
A rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica is found tucked away in a drawer
A fossil stored in a museum drawer for four decades has been confirmed as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered in Antarctica.
Scientists Stumble on Historic Discovery in Forgotten Drawer
Historic dinosaur fossil discovered in Antarctica after 40 years in storage
Newly identified fossil sheds light on evolutionary history of saber-toothed cats
A mislabeled feline skull discovered in a museum drawer is providing new insights into the evolutionary history of saber-toothed cats.
New Feathered Dinosaur from China Had Peacock-Like Tail
A newly identified feathered dinosaur from China, featuring a peacock-like tail, may have preyed upon Earth's earliest birds.