Castle Bank, which is an incredible fossil site in Wales, was found to hold fossilized brains, eyes, and other creatures from 462 million years ago. Their remains were spotted among a myriad of different species.
Castle Bank Fossil Deposit
While fossils of bramble snout were documented at the fossil site last year, a new paper sheds light on the entire fossil deposit. The paper was published in the Nature Ecology and Evolution journal.
Live Science reports that the Castle Bank fossil site was found to house a myriad of marine creatures that are soft-bodied, as well as their organs. In usual fossil records, these tend to be scarcely preserved.
Though Castle Bank resembles the Qingjian biota in China and Cambrian deposits of Burgess Shale in Canada, Castle Bank's rocks are younger by around 50 million years. The unique fossil site also offers a unique glimpse on the diversification of soft-bodied life proliferating through the Ordovician times (443.8 to 485.4 million years ago).
The site was found by Joe Botting and Lucy Muir close to their home in Llandrindod Wells. It was discovered as COVID-19 lockdowns took place last 2020. For the area to be protected and by the landowner's request, the exact location of the Castle Bank remains a secret. The authors of the study, however, describe the fossil deposit as a small quarry situated within a sheep field.
The Independent reports that both Botting and Muir were behind the unearthing of marine fauna in the area.
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Fossilized Brains, Eyes, Organs Found in Castle Bank
As per Live Science, researchers think that over 170 species have already been uncovered from the Castle Bank. Several of these creatures remained undiscovered before this.
The rocks also house trilobite digestive systems that are fossilized. An unknown arthropod's eyes and brain and preserved sponges and worms were also found.
Both of them are independent specialists who do not have academic affiliations. Hence, they crowdfunded in order to purchase a microscope to look deeper into the fossils.
Both Muir and Botting spend around 100 days in the area. Several of the recovered fossils had a length of just 0.1 inch, which were was still striking nevertheless. The duo then collaborated with a global team to finish the recently published paper.
Botting explains that each time they revisit the area, they discover something new that tends to be quite extraordinary. Moreover, despite the variety of discovered fossils, work on the Castle Bank has just started. With the many mysteries and questions surrounding the Castle Bank, the site may end up yielding new discoveries for a couple of decades.
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