Fossils of bizarre Ordovician creatures have emerged intact, with each cell replaced by gold, but it is “fool’s gold.”
Excavated in New York, USA, these tiny fossils resemble sparkling gold jewelry and have allowed paleontologists to identify a new species named Lomankus edgecombei.
“Apart from their beautiful and striking gold color, these fossils are spectacularly preserved,” said paleontologist Luke Parry from the University of Oxford, a member of the international research team.
Close-up of the 450 million-year-old fossil recently excavated in New York – (Photo: CURRENT BIOLOGY).
According to Science Alert, the new species is a marine animal from the Megacheiran family, an extinct class of arthropods characterized by large “arms” at the front of their bodies used for capturing prey.
The fossils recently excavated are 450 million years old, dating back to the Ordovician period, a time when the northern tropical regions were almost entirely oceanic, and most of the world’s land was consolidated into the southern supercontinent Gondwana.
These Ordovician creatures were incredibly diverse and strange, inheriting traits from the great evolutionary burst of the preceding Cambrian period.
Appearance of Lomankus edgecombei when alive – (Graphic: Xiaodong Wang).
The fact that they are not true “fossils” but rather transformed into “fool’s gold” makes this discovery even more intriguing.
“Fool’s gold” is the name scientists give to pyrite (FeS2).
Sulfate-reducing bacteria decompose organic material in an oxygen-deficient environment, producing hydrogen sulfide. This substance can then react with iron to form pyrite.
“The sediments containing the fossils have low organic material content but high iron content; therefore, the animal remains preserved there resemble small islands, where conditions are suitable for pyrite formation.” – the authors explain.
This mineral has a beautiful color similar to gold, with a slight bronze sheen, making it easily mistaken for gold. Hence, it is called “fool’s gold.”
This new species exhibits many distinct evolutionary traits compared to its Cambrian relatives, with more formidable and versatile appendages.
Thus, while they may not have turned into real gold, given their ancient age, fossilization state, and position on the evolutionary ladder, they are even more precious than pure gold.
The research on the new organism has just been published in the scientific journal Current Biology.
