Neuroscience For Kids
2000-Year-Old Brain Found
December 17, 2008
A brain estimated to be at least 2,000 years old has been discovered in northern England. According to a University of York press release, the brain was discovered inside a skull unearthed in a muddy pit during a dig on the university campus.
The skull was examined using a CT scanner.
Images show a shrunken brain, but it is unclear which structures are
present. It is very unusual for soft tissues such as the brain to be
preserved for such a long time. The chemical composition of the muddy pit
may have slowed the breakdown of the tissue.
Philip Duffey, Consultant Neurologist at York Hospital said:
"I'm amazed and excited that scanning has shown structures which appear to be unequivocally of brain origin. I think that it will be very important to establish how these structures have survived, whether there are traces of biological material within them and, if not, what is their composition."
Reference and further information:
Copyright © 1996-2008, Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington
