Sperm oldest found in Australia

Sperm

Sperm oldest found in Australia

17 million -year -old sperm was found in excellent condition in Australia , according to some scientists .

Sperm derived from shrimp species discovered in the Riversleigh fossil site , an area north Queensland State .
At these locations is often found fossils of prehistoric animals , including giant platypus and kangaroo meat eaters .

Mike Archer , Faculty of Biology and Environmental scientist University of New South Wales who have been digging in the Riversleigh for 35 years , said the discovery of 17 -million-year -old sperm was very unusual .
" Sperm that has now become one of the oldest fossils in the geological record , " he said .

Archer was deeply amazed by the discovery. Therefore , the sperm intact sexual organs are in the ancient shrimp known as ostracod .

" Findings like this was unexpected . Now we 're wondering what other fossils can be found in the soil at this location , " said Archer .

The researchers leader Archer , who published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society , estimates that fossil sperm measuring 1.3 millimeters .

factors bat
Based on the study of Archer and his team , the location where the fossil was found 17 million sperm shrimp last year was a cave in the middle of the rain forest is rich in biodiversity .

" Ostracod live comfortably in a puddle of water in the cave dirt enriched thousands of bats , " said Archer .

Archer colleagues from the University of New South Wales , Suzanne Hand , said bat droppings so may increase the levels of phosphorus in a puddle . It helps the process of mineralization in the soft organs fossils .

" Thus , the key to the preservation of soft organs may be is in the womb of bat droppings , " said Hand .BBC