Fossil a new 15 million -year -old species has an excited expert with an unusual reason

Paleontology is an interesting field, loved by many for its discovery of past life on earth. The fossils encountered by paleontology can provide guidance on extinct species such as, how they live, and how their environment is. Sometimes, fossils can also tell scientists what to eat. Usually, this is from tooth -based guesses (sharper teeth to carnivores and flat, grinding teeth to herbivores), even at some lucky occasions, unusual fossils will show direct evidence of animal diet.

Australia is known for its unique animal wildlife, often found anywhere. Sometimes these animals are cute, and their other time Australian Deadly CreaturesBut they are always interesting. This is no different 15 million years ago. On March 2025, a team of scientists from Australia published their findings of a fossil series representing a new species – and a menu from the last food of animals, making it a very rare and unusual search.

Fossil fish from red rust stones are rare discoveries

These findings give paleontology a rare view of fish from the time of Miocene

The team of scientists led by Matthew McCurry, Ph.D., a Paleontologist of Vertebrate with the Australian Museum and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, published the discovery of their new species on March 17 in The The journal Paleontology of Vertebrate.

The discovery was a new fish species, the first fresh fossil freshwater to be discovered in Australia. Fossils were found at McGrath’s flat fossil site near Gulgong, New South Wales, an Australian state that is usually famous for its beautiful cities. This area is about 200 miles from Sydney.

The team named a new species Ferruasaspis Brocksi, means “Brocks’ Iron Shield”. The name respects Jochen Brocks, Ph.D., a professor at the National University of Australia, who found several species of fossils at McGrath’s flat fossil site. The name of the genus, Ferruasaspisderived from the Latin word for iron (iron) and the Greek word for the shield (ἀσπίς- “aspis”) and is a reference to the iron-rich stone layer found in (many rocks in the area is rust).

Fossils began about 15 million years ago until a period of time known as the Miocene era, making it a rare discovery. McCurry explains the importance of interviews for the Australian Museum:

“We didn’t have many fossil fish from the time. This is actually the only fossil of the whole fish body, or the body fossil, which we have from Miocene.”

Stomach full of fish food makes this fossil very unusual

These rare fossils maintain a 15 million year old seafood diet

One of the most amazing parts of Ferruasaspis Fossils are that Some of them preserved the contents of the fish abdomen since they died 15 million years ago. Four fossil fish held in the contents of the fossil stomach that scientists can identify. Analysis shows that this fish eats a lot of insects.

The most common item on the menu for Ferruasaspis The emergence of an aquatic larvae of insects known as ghosts or glass worms. The wings of other insect species are also found in the stomach of the fish, together with bivalve shells. Bivalves are a group of animals that include clams, oysters, shells, and other related species.

In a great picture in time, one of the fossils Ferruasaspis found with beetles in his jaw. It is possible that the fish died at the same time as it was raging on the beetle, though McCurry was careful of the note in the publication that it may be “both specimens died freely and settled on the sediment next to each other by chance”.

Perhaps, these fish will also be food for other animals in their ecosystem. Scientific illustrator Alex Boersma Created a picture of a ferruasaspis school eaten by a extinct Platipus Australia known as Obdurodon. Modern Platypus, once considered a mythfound today exclusively in southeastern Australia.

The first fossil fish melanosome was found

This fish has a color pattern similar to many animals that live today

Fossils also allow the team to rebuild color patterns Ferruasaspis. In general, paleontologists can only guess what the color of the extinct species, even in recent years have some unusual fossil discoveries, Like these new dinosaur tails -recently, have shown the color on dinosaur fur.

The team saw the spots on the orange spots on the fossil fish sections and examined the areas close to the electron microscope. Scientists have found that the spots of fossil melanosomes, which are responsible for the color and pigmentation of the skin, eyes, and hair. Finding fossil melanosomes in fish is the first. Michael Frese, Ph.D., an author on paper, explained the process in a statement to UnSW Sydney:

“Using a strong microscope, we can see a small color producer structure known as melanosomes.

The distribution of melanosomes indicates that Ferruasaspis Has counterershading, which is a common pattern for animals living in water. Animals with Counterershading will have a lighter and darker stomach back to help to disguise themselves in the water. Other aquatic animals with counters include many species of fish, sharks, marine mammals such as Orcas, and even penguins.

While Ferruasaspis may never make The most awesome list of Australian animalsIt’s supposed to be, to be honest. These amazing fish help scientists not only fill the critical gap in the fossil records but also provide interesting guidance on their way of life. Ferruasaspis‘Fossils give a picture of more than just the structure of this ancient animal frame and anatomy but about how it uses countershading to prevent predators while drowning their own victims.