Ancient fish fossil has ‘oldest well-kept brain’

A 319-million-year-old fossilised fish pulled from a coal mine in England more than a century ago has the oldest example of a well-preserved vertebrate brain, researchers say.

Scans reveal the skull of the creature contains a brain and nerves at the back of the brain that are roughly one inch long.

University of Birmingham and University of Michigan scientists believe the discovery opens a window into the make-up of the brain and nervous system, and early evolution of a group of creatures alive today called ray-finned fishes. The findings shed light into the preservation of soft parts in fossils of backboned animals.