A 30,000-year-old vulture feather represents a “two-for-the-price-of one” discovery: the fossil itself, and the first evidence that volcanic ash can preserve such soft tissues in exquisite detail.
The feather itself is not a new find; a Roman landowner in 1889 came across evidence of entire bird preserved as a three-dimensional impression. Its details included eye lids and wing feathers. However, new research published in the journal Geology demonstrates that preservation extends to microscopic feather pigment structures. That level of detail was maintained over millennia due to zeolite in the ashes surrounding the fossil.
Zeolites — rich in silicon and aluminum — are minerals common in volcanic and hydrothermal geological settings. This discovery of its preservation properties has important implications for paleontology and archeology.
“This new mode of soft tissue preservation has the capacity for a remarkable quality of preservation, extending to the microscale and three dimensions,” according to the paper.
The Search for Ancient Feathers
Fossil feathers are often found in ancient mudrocks associated with lakes or lagoons. This specimen was preserved in ash deposits, which is considered extremely unusual.
“When analyzing the fossil vulture plumage, we found ourselves in uncharted territory,” Valentina Rossi, a University College Cork (UCC), Ireland research an author of the paper, said in a press release. “These feathers are nothing like what we usually see in other fossils.”
The researchers analyzed the feathers with electron microscopy as well as chemical tests to both observe the details and how the minerals preserved the feathers.
"The alteration of the ash due to passage of water induced the precipitation of zeolites nanocrystals that, in turn replicated the feathers to the tiniest cellular detail," according to the press release.
Read More: Conventional Wisdom Was Wrong About Dinosaur Feathers
Unusual Preservation
The conditions that led to this level of preservation are unusual, but not unprecedented. Volcanic deposits are often associated with pyroclastic flow — a hot, fast-moving current of gas and debris. Those conditions generally burn soft tissue, because their temperature can exceed 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Instead, the vulture was probably buried under much cooler conditions. Settings following volcanic eruptions can be complex, with some areas being decimated by pyroclastic flow, others by lava, and still others by cooler ash deposits.
This vulture feather will not only teach scientists more about that bird but represents an indicator of where to look for more such specimens.
“We never expected to find delicate tissues such as feathers preserved in a volcanic rock,” Maria McNamara, UCC researcher and an author of the paper, said in a press release. "Discoveries such as these broaden the range of potential rock types where we can find fossils, even those preserving fragile soft tissues.”
Now that scientists know that specific types of volcanic rocks hold potential for more soft-tissue fossil finds, expect paleontologists to broaden their search — and don’t be surprised to hear about more fur and feather finds.
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Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.
