Published By: Satavisha

Some Of The Most Bizarre Fossil Discoveries Of All Time

Palaeontologists around the world are continuously discovering new fossil reserves – however, they have never officially assigned just one classification to "bizarre" fossils.

What makes a fossil strange? For some, it depends on how and where it was discovered and the story it tells about the prehistoric past. While, for many, bizarre fossils are those that look unfamiliar and unimaginable. Keep reading to know more about some of the most bizarre fossil discoveries of all time.

A Silurian Shrimp

A 425-million-year-old seed shrimp (fossilized ostracod), clearly that of a male, was discovered in the early 2000s in a ditch near the Anglo-Welsh border. The fossil was well-preserved in three dimensions, and all its soft tissues were fossilized and were proportionally well-endowed.

Gigantic Ant Fossil

This strange fossil was unearthed by four palaeontologists. The gigantic and fossil displays how global warming adversely impacted life distribution since 50 million years ago. The fossil is named Titanomyrma lube, and it is suggested by palaeontologists that this giant winged ant belonged to the Eocene Epoch and the size of its body is up to 5 centimetres long, as big as a hummingbird.

A Nest with Fifteen Baby Dinosaurs

In 2011, David Fastovsky, a palaeontologist from the University of Rhode Island, unearthed the fossil of a nest along with the fossilized remains of fifteen juvenile baby dinosaurs in Mongolia. These fossils were later classified as species of Protoceratops andrewsi dinosaur. It is the first fossilized nest of the dinosaur species ever found.

Spider Attack Fossil

It is the first and only fossil that depicts the attack of a spider caught in amber. This spider fossil was found in Myanmar’s Hukawng Valley during the early Cretaceous period. The fossil is about 97 to 110 million years old. This unusual discovery was well preserved with remarkable detail as these fossils are very rare.

An Ichthyosaurs Giving Birth

The fossil of an ancient Ichthyosaurs carrying at least three offspring was a strange discovery. One of the babies was found under the body of the mother while one was waiting to be born, and one baby was halfway out of the birth canal, making it a unique fossil. But unfortunately, just one part of the mother was recovered because the team that had collected the rock was clueless that it contained ichthyosaurs.

Can you imagine that these unusual creatures once roamed the earth?