Scientists uncover the secret behind perfectly 3D preserved ‘sea reptile’ fossils

New #CurtinResearch is rewriting the fossil record. Curtin scientists have cracked the mystery behind some of the world’s best-preserved #fossils. Led by PhD researcher Andrew Jian at the Western Australian Organic & Isotope Geochemistry Centre, the team studied a 183-million-year-old ichthyosaur from Germany’s Posidonia Shale. They found that after the animal sank to an oxygen-free seafloor, microbes got to work. These tiny “builders” triggered chemical reactions that filled the bones with minerals, preserving the skeleton in remarkable detail. Senior author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Kliti Grice said the findings show fossilisation is driven by complex chemistry at the microscopic level — not just a lack of oxygen. Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/26k92uny #CurtinUniversity