SCIENTISTS have been baffled by an ancient fossil that was discovered in the Italian Alps.
The fossil of an ancient lizard, known as Tridentinosaurus antiquus, was discovered in 1931.
Dating to 280 million years ago, the fossil was exceptionally well-preserved, with an apparent imprint of soft tissue.
However, new research has revealed that the “soft tissue” was not actually organic material, but black paint.
The discovery was made by a team led by paleobiologist Valentina Rossi of University College Cork.
The team discovered this after a meticulous analysis of the microscopic samples.
“At first glance, I must say I thought the fossil was looking a bit… peculiar,” Rossi told ScienceAlert.
“Other colleagues of mine told me they had the same reaction. But fossils are always a bit weird,” she added.
The findings, ultimately showed no signs of carbonized tissue, a characteristic of preserved soft tissue in fossils.
The team used a combination of methods to analyze the fossil, including scanning electron microscopy.
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They then coupled this with energy dispersive spectroscopy, micro-X-ray diffraction, and other techniques.
After comparing their results against some materials, the sample appeared to be consistent with manufactured bone black pigment.
The new revelation is surprising and highlights the complexities of interpreting fossils.
Though, it’s important to note that soft tissue is rarely preserved in fossils.
“I think I can honestly say we were all a bit in shock and sad,” Rossi said.
“But we realized that this is a glimpse into the history of paleontology,” she added.
“Today we can count on powerful techniques that allow us to look at fossils at the molecular level, and this was not possible even 10 years ago.”
That said, scientists are also still trying to determine who painted the fossil and why.
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“We think that since part of the bones are visible, as well as tiny bony scales, someone thought to try to excavate in places where they thought other bones might be,” Rossi said.
“The paint was perhaps applied to embellish the specimen.”
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Jona Jaupi
