Date:

200-million-year old squid attack revealed in fossils

Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest known example of a squid-like creature attacking its prey, in a fossil dating back almost 200 million years.

The fossil was found on the Jurassic coast of southern England in the 19th century and is currently housed within the collections of the British Geological Survey in Nottingham.

- Advertisement -

In a new analysis, researchers say it appears to show a creature – which they have identified as Clarkeiteuthis montefiorei – with a herring-like fish (Dorsetichthys bechei) in its jaws.

They say the position of the arms, alongside the body of the fish, suggests this is not a fortuitous quirk of fossilization but that it is recording an actual palaeobiological event.

They also believe it dates from the Sinemurian period (between 190 and 199 million years ago), which would predate any previously recorded similar sample by more than 10 million years.

The research was led by the University of Plymouth, in conjunction with the University of Kansas and Dorset-based company, The Forge Fossils.

- Advertisement -

It has been accepted for publication in Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association and will also be presented as part of Sharing Geoscience Online, a virtual alternative to the traditional General Assembly held annually by the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

Professor Malcolm Hart, Emeritus Professor in Plymouth and the study’s lead author, said: “Since the 19th century, the Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone formations of the Dorset coast have provided large numbers of important body fossils that inform our knowledge of coleoid palaeontology. In many of these mudstones, specimens of palaeobiological significance have been found, especially those with the arms and hooks with which the living animals caught their prey.

“This, however, is a most unusual if not extraordinary fossil as predation events are only very occasionally found in the geological record. It points to a particularly violent attack which ultimately appears to have caused the death, and subsequent preservation, of both animals.”

In their analysis, the researchers say the fossilised remains indicate a brutal incident in which the head bones of the fish were apparently crushed by its attacker.

They also suggest two potential hypotheses for how the two animals ultimately came to be preserved together for eternity.

Firstly, they suggest that the fish was too large for its attacker or became stuck in its jaws so that the pair – already dead – settled to the seafloor where they were preserved.

Alternatively, the Clarkeiteuthis took its prey to the seafloor in a display of ‘distraction sinking’ to avoid the possibility of being attacked by another predator. However, in doing so it entered waters low in oxygen and suffocated.

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Header Image – An image showing the full fossil with the body of the squid on the left and its arms, with the trapped fish, to the right. Image Credit : Malcolm Hart, Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Work halted with discovery of possible Roman bathing structures

Restoration work on the historic Cefn Flight in Monmouthshire, Wales, has been halted following the discovery of possible Roman bathing structures.

Rare Avar-Era sabre unearthed near Székesfehérvár

Archaeologists from the Stephen King Museum have unearthed an Avar-era sabre during an excavation of a cemetery identified by the Hungarian National Museum’s Cemeteries from Space program.

Ancient inscriptions found on summit of Phu Khat Mountain

Located in Thailand’s Loei Province, Phu Khat stands as the highest peak in the Phu Khat Wildlife Sanctuary, rising to a height of 1,307 metres above sea level.

Giant coin hoard discovered in eastern Poland

A metal detectorist has discovered a significant coin hoard in a field near Zewierszczów, located in Poland’s Lublin Voivodeship.

Archaeologists uncover major Slavic settlement

Excavations for the SuedOstLink infrastructure project have revealed a major Slavic settlement and cemetery west of Nauendorf, Saxony-Anhalt.

Underwater study reveals remarkable details of WWII German U-Boat

An underwater study using 3D photogrammetry has revealed remarkable details of the U-670, a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Intact Roman helmet from First Punic War discovered

Archaeologists have discovered an intact Roman helmet while conducting an underwater study near the Aegadian Islands off Sicily’s western coast.

Ritual tomb discovered in Northern Peru reveals evidence of human sacrifice

Excavations near the Temple of Puémape, an archaeological complex in the San Pedro Lloc district in Peru, have unearthed traces of human sacrifice following the discovery of a ritual tomb.