Scientists have discovered the oldest fish brain, which is 319 million years old (5 photos + 1 video)

Scientists accidentally discovered the oldest vertebrate brain animal by examining the skull of a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish. The skull of the extinct fish species Coccocephalus wildi was studied using computed tomography.





A team of scientists from the University of Michigan in the USA and University of Birmingham in the UK studied the fossilized fish 319 million years old. Fossil found in an English mine centuries ago. It belongs to the extinct fish species Coccocephalus wildi, and is the only known specimen of the species to date. Scientists decided to study the skull of this fish, which, by the way, is beautiful survived, and made an interesting discovery.



Studying the structure of the fish skull using a computer tomography, experts found an "unidentified" clot. They immediately traced that the object had features inherent in the brain of vertebrates: it was symmetrical, and it also showed ventricles and filaments similar to to the cranial nerves. It turned out that this is really the brain, which is now considered to be the oldest vertebrate brain.

"A very unexpected and impressive find. We don't imagined that we would find the brain during the study of the skull of a fish. Us it even took a long time to make sure it was real brain. In addition to being remarkably preserved, its anatomy will reveal the features of the evolution of fish," says co-author research, paleontologist Sam Giles.



The fish Coccocephalus wildi is an ancient ray-finned fish that possessed a spine and fins with bone rods (rays). Her length was 15-20 cm, she swam at the mouth of the rivers, and fed on small aquatic animals and insects. As for the brain, in living ray-finned fish, this organ has certain structural features - for example, nervous tissue in the telencephalon (front of the brain) is located outside, while in other vertebrates - inside.

However, the ancient fish is different. They are deprived of this features of the telencephalon, and the very structure of this part of the brain is rather resembles the structure of the brain of amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals. This - already a significant discovery for scientists. It indicates that the configuration brain that ray-finned fish now have arose much later than was considered earlier.



And, according to the researchers, the brain of this fish "exceptionally" well preserved - even compared to others invertebrate specimens up to 500 million years old. How do they think scientists, the brain is so perfectly preserved because of the compact and durable membranes of the brain, as well as low oxygen concentrations. Next step scientists - to understand under what conditions the brain is able to survive in this way, and also explore other ancient fossils.