To uncover a trove of squid beaks, scientists first had to grind the fossils into dust



Summary

Scientists painstakingly pulverized ancient fossils into fine dust to extract and identify tiny, hardened structures known as squid beaks. These beaks, composed of chitin, provide crucial insights into the past abundance and diversity of cephalopods, including squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish, over millions of years. By analyzing the beak fragments recovered from the fossil dust, researchers can reconstruct ancient marine ecosystems and track the evolutionary history of these fascinating creatures. This unconventional method offers a unique window into a group of animals with a limited fossil record due to their soft bodies.

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