A dramatic scene of vulture capturing prey has been captured and save for 200 million year , shed light on the fauna that once roamed our planet and swam in its blue sea depths .
A newfangled analysis of two fossilise specimens discovered on the Jurassic Coast of southern England back in the 19th - century seems to be the oldest know example of a squid - comparable predator attacking its quarry , according to new inquiry face today at theSharing Geoscience Onlinevirtual gathering of the annualEuropean Geosciences Unionmeeting . As its name paint a picture , theJurassic Coastis known for its copiousness of fossils dating back to the Triassic , Jurassic , and Cretaceous Periods , three geological periods that make up the Mesozoic Era span between 65 and 250 million yr ago . The unique geology of this coastline offers a “ complete criminal record ” of the profound variety that occurred across our planet over gazillion of years . Its racy story awarded the coast a designation as aUNESCO World Heritage Sitein 2001 .
researcher with the University of Plymouth , in conjunction with the University of Kansas and Dorset - based company The Forge Fossils analyse the specimen , which is presently put up within the collections of theBritish Geological Survey in Nottingham . The now - identify squid - like beast known as aClarkeiteuthis montefioreiwas preserved in perpetuity with a modest , herring - like fish known asDorsetichthys becheitrapped within its jaw . The researchers estimate that the fated duet date back to the Sinemurian time period – between 190 and 199 million twelvemonth ago – forgo any exchangeable sampling by more than 10 million days . Their determination are due to be release in theProceedings of the Geologists ' Association .
" Since the 19th C , the Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone establishment of the Dorset glide have provided large numbers of authoritative body fogey that inform our noesis of coleoid palaeontology . In many of these mudstones , specimen of palaeobiological import have been found , especially those with the arm and hooks with which the animation animal caught their fair game , ” said written report lead author Malcolm Hart , emeritus prof at Plymouth , in astatement .
" This , however , is a most unusual if not sinful fossil as predation event are onlyvery occasionallyfound in the geologic track record . It point to a particularlyviolent attackwhich ultimately appears to have caused the death , and subsequent conservation , of both animals . "
In what is described as a brutal incident , the head bones of the small Pisces appear to be wholly crushed by its squid - corresponding attacker . The position of the predator ’s arm wrapped alongside the dead body of the fish suggest that the deposit captured the Holman Hunt shortly after it happened . But how did this come to be ? The researchers propose two theories .
First , it is possible that the eyes ofC. montefioreiwere much too bad for its belly – er , mouth . The diminished quarry may have become stuck in its capturer ’s lip , defeat the enceinte wight before settling to the seafloor where they became preserved in sediments . Or , it could be that the aggressor make its fair game to the seafloor in a method that is hump as “ distraction sinking ” a method acting of hunt that has been recorded at other fossil sites whereby the piranha pretend to sink so to avoid being attacked by another hungrier , larger predator . Unfortunately forC. montefiorei , the scheme ended ill . If this was how the scenario played out , the squid - like fauna likely suffocated during its descent into oxygen - poor Ethel Waters .
