(ORDO NEWS) — The remains of spiders of the Oligocene period have been preserved to this day due to microalgae and arthropod chemistry. Their age is about 23–34 Ma.
An unusual find was made in a geological formation located near the French Aix-en-Provence. This place is considered one of the main treasuries of fossil species of the Cenozoic era.
American scientists were engaged in the study of the remains of spiders. They carefully examined them under a fluorescent microscope and noticed a glow.
The results of chemical analysis showed that the composition of the fossils includes a black polymer, which includes hydrogen and sulfur. Above are thousands of microalgae, forming a viscous mass.
The scientists concluded that a substance produced by diatoms protected the arthropods from oxygen. It also contributed to the chemical change that allowed fossils to be preserved as carbonaceous films for tens of millions of years.
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