Neuroscience For Kids

Oldest Fossilized Brain Found
March 27, 2009

Scientists have discovered a 300-million-year-old fossilized fish brain in rocks from Kansas. The fossil, from a fish known as an iniopterygian, is the oldest brain ever found. Researchers identified the brain when they viewed the fish skull with a high-powered imaging device similar to a CAT scan.

The find is very unexpected because brain tissue rarely becomes a fossil. The researchers believe that high levels of phosphates around the fish skull quickly preserved the specimen. Additional scans and analysis of other fossilized skulls may reveal new information about brain evolution.

Reference:

• Pradel, A., Langer, M., Maisey, J.G., Geffard-Kuriyama, D., Cloetens, P, Janvier, P. and Tafforeau, P., Skull and brain of a 300-million-year-old chimaeroid fish revealed by synchrotron holotomography, PNAS Early Edition, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0807047106.

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