Sepia found in the Jurassic Period
Paleontologists have extracted from the ink with an octopus preserved in a fossil excavated in Trowbridge, Wiltshire discovered.
“The sample is now at the Library of the British Geological Survey”
The fossil, estimated that 150 million years ago, was found when a stone was cracked open, revealing an inch long pocket series of black ink.
The image of the creature and the Latin name was drawn with ink.
Dr Phil Wilby of the British Geological Survey said it is an ancient animal similar to today’s squid.
“The structure is similar to that of a modern sepia ink, so that we can write to him,” he said.
“Effect Medusa”
The find was on a site that was excavated by the Victorians, where thousands of fossils from the Jurassic have been found with preserved soft tissues.
Dr. Wilby, who led the excavation, said: “We believe that these creatures were swimming around in the Jurassic period and showed the stone, shortly after his death. It ’s like the Medusa effect.”
According to experts, the possibility that thousands of animals of the region along with the companion before being poisoned by algae in water.
Remains of another species of squid were also found, that feed on carcasses of large predators attracted to them and, in turn, also died
Dr. Wilby, said: “They dissected the animals as if they were alive may be able to see the muscle fibers and cells.
“It ‘hard to imagine that something could be soft and sloppy as the ink sac in three sizes, petrified, still dark, and a rock is 150 million years.”
The sample is now in the collection of the British Geological Survey in Nottingham.
A portion of the ink sac has been sent to Yale University in the United States for a more detailed analysis of chemicals.
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