‘Oldest eye’ in 530m-year fossil

AN “exceptional” 530-million-yearold fossil contains what could be the oldest eye ever discovered, according to researchers.

The remains of the extinct sea creature include an early form of the eye seen in many of today’s animals, including crabs, bees and dragonflies.

Scientists made the find while examining the well-preserved fossil of a hard-shelled species called a trilobite.

These ancestors of spiders and crabs lived in coastal waters between 541m and 251m years ago. The right eye of the fossil – unearthed in Estonia – was partly worn away, giving researchers a clear view inside the organ.