From the Antarctic icy land, researchers unearthed a prehistoric jewel: 50 million-year-old sperm.
World's oldest animal sperm in Antarctica
Today's report, this is the oldest animal sperm ever collected, produced by a cocoon worm called annelids clitellate e, commonly known as earthworms, leeches, and their congeners.
Using electron microscopy, the researchers found an "interlaced cable network, " nestled in the walls of a cocoon, which they later identified as the rare sperm of clitellate, Biology Letters. said.
Even more surprising is that sperm cells appear similar to today.
From the Antarctic fossil sperm samples, scientists will expand their research and find solutions to the conundrum: how have earthworms evolved?
In the next steps, the screening image has become sharper. The authors confirm the high resolution of fossils will not only mark a evolutionary history of annelids clitellate, but it will open the door to research on other insects.
The researchers draw conclusively, ancient worms are better than today.
