Surprise discovery baffles experts
He said the fossil could either be a Notelops or Rhacolepis, two extinct types of ray- finned fish which swam the seas more than 100 million years ago. Rhacolepis, which lived during the Cretaceous period, previously hit the news when a preserved heart was found in one Brazilian fossil.
Matt told The Sunday Post it was too great a distance for the fossil to have been brought over to Scotland through glacial movements.
Instead, he speculated the rock could have been transported from Brazil by someone who knew what lay inside.
It could then have been mixed up with other rocks over the years, or accidentally thrown out – before ending up in a field near Blairgowrie, where it became part of a dry stone wall which has stood on the site for generations.
“I would have thought somebody at some point has brought it into Scotland knowing it’s fossil material,” he said.
“But to anyone else, it would just be a rounded stone. They’re not going to know it’s fossil material. It’s an interesting story – exactly how it happened, I don’t know.”
Dr Th o m a s Ch a l l a n d s , o f Edinburgh University’s School of Geosciences, described the find as an “intriguing mystery”.
He said: “I work with fossil fish from Scotland. This is not like any we have seen.
“What makes me think it probably is from Brazil is you can see it has a preserved eye. Fossil fish from the Santana Formation are known for their exquisite preservation.
“It’s been illegal to export fossils from Brazil since the 1940s. Maybe someone brought it over knowing it was effectively contraband and ditched it.
“The mystery deepens, so to speak. This is what makes it really fascinating.”
His colleague Dr Stephen Brusatte – a world- famous dinosaur expert – said: “How a fossil fish that seems to come from halfway around the world, and in such pristine condition, ends up in a Perthshire field strains my brain.
“I don’t have an explanation.”