200-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Story Of Squid-Like Creature Attacking Its Prey

Scientists have come across one of the oldest evidence of an extraordinary predation event. They discovered an ancient fossil that shows a squid-like creature attacking a fish.

The discovery was made on the Dorset coast in southern England. Based on their analysis, the fossil record could be about 190 to 199 million years old. A study regarding their findings has been accepted by the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association for publication.

The fossil that the scientists have unearthed features an ancient squid-like creature known as Clarkeiteuthis montefiorei. Based on the fossil, it died with another animal inside its mouth. The scientists identified the other animal as a Dorsetichthys bechei, which is a herring-like fish.

The scientists believe that the fossil dates back to the Sinemurian period, which occurred between 190 and 199 million years ago. This would make it older than other known predation event fossils by over 10 million years. This means it could be the oldest fossil record of a predation event.

After analyzing the fossil, the scientists realized that it serves as a recording of an actual palaeobiological event. The positioning of the squid-like animal’s arms indicates that it died soon after attacking the smaller fish.

“This, however, is a most unusual if not extraordinary fossil as predation events are only very occasionally found in the geological record,” lead scientist Malcolm Hart of the University of Plymouth explained in a statement. “It points to a particularly violent attack which ultimately appears to have caused the death, and subsequent preservation, of both animals.”

According to the scientists, the squid-like animal may have died due to the size of the fish. It may have gotten stuck in the predator’s jaw, causing both animals to die on the seafloor where they were preserved.

It is also possible that after attacking the fish, the Clarkeiteuthis montefiorei swam to the seafloor to avoid being attacked by other large predators as it fed on its prey. However, due to the low oxygen levels near the bottom of the sea, the animal may have suffocated and died.