Microscopic magnetic fossils found in North Atlantic seafloor sediments may represent components of an internal "GPS system" for an ancient marine creature that used Earth's magnetic field to navigate long distances, according
Microscopic magnetic fossils found in North Atlantic seafloor sediments may represent components of an internal "GPS system" for an ancient marine creature that used Earth's magnetic field to navigate long distances, according to scientists.
The researchers said the fossils - about 50 times smaller than the width of a human hair - are made of a strongly magnetic iron-bearing mineral called magnetite. They suspect these particles were once part of a marine organism, though its identity remains mysterious.
Scientists have recovered a number of these fossils dating back as far as 97 million years ago. There has been a debate as to whether or not they were biological in origin.
A new study employed three-dimensional imaging to determine the magnetic structure of one of the fossils, a magnetite particle shaped like a tiny ice cream cone that dates to 56 million years ago. The researchers identified features optimized to detect the strength and direction of Earth's magnetic field, a dynamic force generated by the motion of molten iron in our planet's core and extending out into space.
The fossil's interior harbored a closed loop of magnetization resembling a vortex. The particle could have been used to create a magnetoreception sense in
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
