俄克拉荷马大学的古生物学家在一具超过450万年前的海百合化石中发现了保存完好的软组织——管足，这是已知仅有的第二例海百合软组织化石标本，也是最古老的此类发现1。这件化石标本来自蒙特利尔古生物与演化博物馆，属于物种Dendrocrinus simcoensis1。该发现比已知最早的恐龙还要早200多万年1。
研究人员Dr. Lena Cole与Dr. David Wright表示，这种保存程度极为罕见1。Cole博士指出："这样的保存方式真正是百万分之一的奇迹。海百合化石数量以百万计，但软组织被发现的情况仅有两次。"1此次发现的管足结构对于理解早期海洋生物的摄食方式、生态适应和演化具有重要科学意义1。
Paleontologists at the University of Oklahoma have identified exceptionally preserved soft tissue in a crinoid fossil over 450 million years old, representing only the second known instance of soft tissue preservation in these ancient sea creatures.1 The specimen belongs to the species Dendrocrinus simcoensis and contains tube feet—appendages used for feeding—making it the oldest recorded example of such preservation.1 The fossil predates the earliest known dinosaurs by more than 200 million years, offering new insights into early marine life.1
Dr. Lena Cole of the University of Oklahoma emphasized the rarity of this discovery, stating that "preservation like this is truly one in a million. Crinoid fossils number in the millions, and this is only the second time soft tissues have ever been found."1 The specimen, held at the Montreal Museum of Paleontology and Evolution, provides researchers including Dr. David Wright with an unprecedented opportunity to study the feeding mechanisms, ecological adaptations, and evolutionary history of these organisms.1
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