381 million years! Researchers have found the oldest heart to date

Australian researchers have found a 380-million-year-old heart in an ancient jawfish fossil, as well as a separate stomach, intestines and liver, the oldest heart

The fossils were found in Gogo, in the Kimberley region of western Australia, which was originally a huge coral reef

"Evolution is often thought of as a series of small steps, but these ancient fossils suggest that there is a greater leap

The study showed for the first time a 3D model of a complex S-shaped heart within a limb segment that consists of two chambers, with the smaller chamber at the top

However, Trinajstic points out a key difference – the liver is large enough to keep fish buoyancy, just like

With the help of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France, the researchers used neutron beams and synchrotron X-rays to scan specimens still embedded in limestone condensate and constructed three-dimensional images

In addition to previously discovered muscles and embryos, this new discovery of mineralized organs makes Gogo arthropods the most well-understood of all maxillary vertebrates and illuminates the evolutionary transition

The researchers said: "The new discovery of these ancient fish soft organs is indeed something that paleontologists dream of, because these fossils are the best-preserved fossils

Study co-author John Long, a professor at Flinders University, said: "The soft organs found in these ancient fish are indeed something that paleontologists dream of, and there is no doubt that these fossils are the best preserved fossils

Another co-author, Per Ahlberg, a professor at Uppsala University, said: "What really makes Gogo fossil fish special is that their soft tissues are preserved in three-dimensional space

Related Paper Information: https://doi.