Unveiling a 450-Million-Year-Old Secret: Mysterious Fossil Trapped in Pyrite Reveals Ancient Species

（＆ＮＮ） An ancient fossil that emits a sparkling light has been discovered in New York state. This creature, which looks like an elaborately crafted accessory, appears to be an unknown species that lived 450 million years ago.

The fossil in question is a newly identified arthropod. It is a distant relative of modern horseshoe crabs, scorpions, and spiders, and is also somewhat similar to shrimp. They lived on the ocean floor during the Ordovician period (485 million to 444 million years ago). At that time, life was just beginning to migrate from the sea to the land.

The arthropod, called Romanx Edgecombey, has a bright golden color because it was preserved in pyrite. It is extremely rare for fossils to form in this way.

The fossil was found near Rome in central New York. This area is known for being rich in fossils. A paper describing five specimens of the same species, including this fossil, was published in Current Biology on October 29th.

Professor Steve Brusatte, professor of palaeontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Geology, said of the fossil: “It’s one of the most impressive fossils I’ve ever seen. It shines like gold. It looks like an exhibit in one museum.” He was not involved in this research.

Brusatte says pyrite allows scientists to see detailed parts of the arthropod’s body, including the thin sensory organs that extend from the head.

“Normally, such delicate and thin organs disappear once the animal dies and is buried underground,” said Brusatte.