The shrimp fossil found in Chiapas. (Photo: semahn.chiapas.gob.mx)

Discovery of 110 million year old shrimp fossil

MEXICO
Thursday, August 16, 2012, 02:40 (GMT + 9)

In the centre of Chiapas a group of biologists from the Museum of Paleontology at the Ministry of Environment and Natural History (Semahn) found a complete fossil of a shrimp that lived 110 million years ago in the country.

This discovery will serve to help determine the context of the species at the time, since the specimen has unique features such as conservation.

Marco Coutiño, director of the Museum of Paleontology of Tuxtla Gutiérrez Eliseo Palacios, explained that the specimen found measures 3.8 centimetres and belongs to a species that still exists today.

Last January scientists found it in the village El Chango, in the municipality of Ocozocoautla.

While on other occasions similar specimens were found in northern and central areas of the country -- Coahuila, Hidalgo and Puebla --, the degree of conservation does not compare with that found in Chiapas.

The research biologist Gerardo Carbot explained that information regarding the piece discovered will be published in a scientific journal within a month.

The fossil will be on display at the museum for a while and then it will be protected for investigation, El Heraldo de Chiapas reported.

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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