An analysis of a 30,000-year-old fossil vulture from Central Italy has revealed for the first time that volcanic rock can preserve microscopic details in feathers—the first ever record of such a preservation.
“The fossil record is continually surprising us, be it new fossil species, strange new body shapes, or, in this case, new styles of fossil preservation. We never expected to find delicate tissues such as feathers preserved in a volcanic rock. Discoveries such as these broaden the range of potential rock types where we can find fossils, even those preserving fragile soft tissues.”
Vulture fossil discovery reveals how volcanic deposits can preserve the microscopic details of animal tissues
Wow, counterintuitive and impressive.