Cell Nuclei and Chromosomes Preserved in 180 Million Year Old Fern Fossil
Posted on March 29, 2014
A well-preserved fern fossil was discovered by researchers from the Lund University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. The 180-million-year-old fern was buried suddenly in a volcanic eruption. The fossil has been studied using different microscopic techniques, X-rays and geochemical analysis. The analysis has revealed undestroyed cell nuclei, cell membranes and individual chromosomes.
Vivi Vajda, Professor of Geology at Lund University says in the announcement, "The preservation happened so quickly that some cells have even been preserved during different stages of cell division."
The researchers are calling the Royal Fern a living fossil because they look nearly the same today as they did during the early Jurassic Period. By comparing the size of the cell nuclei in the fossilized plant with its living relatives, the researchers found that royal ferns have outstanding evolutionary stability.
The fossil was discovered in the southern Swedish county of Skane. There could more interesting fossils in the area.
Vajda says, "This naturally leads us to think that there must be more to discover. It isn't hard to imagine what else could be encapsulated in the lava flows at Korsarod in Skane."
The research was published here in the journal, Science.