@WFS,World Fossil Society, Athira, Riffin T Sajeev,Russel T Sajeev

New research reveals that sulfur minerals that make fossils in the Norwegian archipelago are especially well-suited to radiography.

An overlook of the Muen plateau as seen from the Muen mountain on Edgeøya, Svalbard. Marine reptiles are spread out across the plateau. Author VSE in red jacket for scale. Credit: Sofie Bernhardsen, CC-BY 4.0

X-ray analysis has led to the categorization of a previously-unidentified marine reptile fossil discovered in Edgeøya, Svalbard. The research was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE.  The study, conducted by Victoria S. Engelschiøn of the University of Oslo and her team, suggests that this method could reveal fresh insights about ancient life in the future.

The effectiveness of X-ray techniques in investigating well-conserved fossil remains is often dependent on the condition of preservation, which can vary greatly across different sites. Through this study, Engelschiøn and her team showed that fossils from the Middle Triassic Botneheia Formation in Svalbard, Norway, are particularly suitable for radiographic imaging.

The focus of this study is a fossil marine reptile whose remains are compressed and encased in shale. It lived around 240 million years ago, when Svalbard was covered by an ocean. After it died, it sank to the seafloor and was buried in the mud, then became extremely flattened over time. Originally excavated in 2008, the identity of this fossil has since been debated. X-ray imaging of the specimen revealed new details, including features of the skull and teeth that allowed researchers to conclude that this reptile most likely belongs to the ichthyosaur species Phalarodon atavus.

Photograph of specimen PMO 219.250. Credit: Engelschiøn et al. PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0

The authors also examined the mineralogy of fossils from this formation, identifying multiple forms of sulfate minerals, notably including sulfate baryte, which gives the fossils very high X-ray contrast, allowing for the high quality of radiographic imaging. The formation of these minerals is little understood but could be linked to conditions created by ancient volcanic activity. Thus, this study not only demonstrates the utility of X-ray techniques for studying these fossils, but also identifies conditions that can form fossils well-suited for these techniques, in Svalbard and potentially elsewhere.

@WFS,World Fossil Society, Athira, Riffin T Sajeev,Russel T Sajeev