Latest news with #Milàn
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fossilized vomit found in Denmark dates back 66 million years — prehistoric puke hailed as national treasure
Something smells rotten in the state of Denmark. Or, rather, it did 66 million years ago, Danish scientists say, announcing the recent discovery of very old shark vomit on the country's Cliffs of Stevns — a coastal scenic spot one hour from Copenhagen. The prehistoric patch of puke sat there long enough to turn into a fossil — languishing in obscurity until an amateur sleuth made the gross and engrossing discovery last November. The strange story begins during the Cretaceous period, the New York Times reported, when a shark, or shark-like sea creature, apparently did not enjoy a meal of sea lilies. Sea lilies 'aren't that great to eat, because they are almost only skeleton,' Dr. Jesper Milàn, curator of Denmark's Geomuseum Faxe, which will showcase the previously unknown upchuck, told the Gray Lady. 'So they took what they could and threw up the rest,' he said. The putrid portal to the past was uncovered by local hunter Peter Bennicke, who had been prowling the white chalk cliffs, a UNESCO-listed geological site, for interesting finds. Dr. Milàn speculated to the paper that the suddenly-scrutinized spew could have come from a bottom-dwelling shark. John Jagt, a Dutch sea lily expert, in a written statement obtained by USA Today, concluded that the historic hurl was made up of 'two different species of sea lilies mixed into a clump.' The retro ralphings were primarily composed of the 'indigestible skeletal parts of their bodies,' the outlet reported. Experts say the funky find could shed new light on what life was like during the Cretaceous period. At the latter end of that time period, Europe was said to be a series of islands, due to higher sea levels. The scientific term for fossilized vomit is regurgitalite. Surprisingly, the timeless throw up is far from the oldest out there — Dr. Milàn said that Germany, for example, has laid claim to an even more historic spot of spit up, dating back 150 million years. The spew sample has already been classified by Denmark as an object of 'exceptional natural historical value.' That means the vomit belongs to Denmark — and is not for sale. 'This is the most famous piece of puke in the world,' Dr. Milàn told The Times.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
66-million-year-old vomit found in Denmark: 'Most famous piece of puke in the world'
Vomit normally isn't celebrated, or something people ogle over, but exceptions can seemingly be made when it is 66 million years old. Peter Bennicke, a local fossil hunter, discovered the blob of vomit at the Cliffs of Stevns, a UNESCO-listed geological site on the Danish island of Zealand that's comprised of about 9 miles of fossil-rich coastal cliff, the Museum of East Zealand said in a news release. Danish officials said the fossil belonged to an animal, and the contents of the vomit contained sea lily remains. Dutch sea lily expert John Jagt concluded that the throw-up consisted of two different species of sea lilies mixed into a clump and that the creatures were eaten by another animal that had subsequently regurgitated the indigestible skeletal parts of their bodies, according to the release. "It is truly an unusual find. Sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet, as they mainly consist of calcareous plates held together by very few soft parts," Jesper Milàn, a Danish paleontologist and curator of Geology at Geomuseum Faxe, said in the release. Milàn predicted that a fish ate the sea lilies that were living at the bottom of the Cretaceous Sea, which according to the Utah State University Prehistoric Museum, was a narrow and shallow sea that connected the modern Gulf of Mexico and the modern Arctic Ocean. The vomit's discovery provides important and new knowledge about the relationship between predators and prey, and the food chains in the Cretaceous Sea, Milàn said. According to UNESCO, the Cliffs of Stevns contain "exceptional evidence of the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite that crashed into the planet about 65 million years ago," which is commonly believed to have caused the extinction of dinosaurs. Sea lilies, also known as crinoids, have declined in diversity since their kind peaked about 300 million years ago, but over 650 living species are known, and they remain abundant in many marine habitats ranging from shallow coral reefs to the floors of oceanic trenches, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The throw-up is also classified as "Danekræ," which is a designation for Danish objects of 'exceptional natural historical value.' This means the vomit belongs to Denmark and not its finder, Bennicke, so it must be turned over to a natural history museum. The vomit will be placed in a small special exhibition at the Geomuseum Faxe Museum in Faxe, Denmark during the winter holidays for people to view, according to the release. Milàn called the vomit "the most famous piece of puke in the world," the New York Times reported. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 66-million-year-old fossilized animal vomit found in Demark
New York Times
28-01-2025
- Science
- New York Times
66-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Vomit Is Found in Denmark
Let's be candid here. Vomit is something you want to get rid of. You don't want it hanging around for a day, or an hour, or even a few minutes. And certainly not for 66 million years. And yet, scientists say, vomit that old has been found in the Cliffs of Stevns, a white chalk cliff and UNESCO World Heritage site on the Danish island of Zealand. Sometime in the Cretaceous period, a shark, or perhaps another kind of fish, made a meal of some sea lilies. But sea lilies 'aren't that great to eat, because they are almost only skeleton,' said Jesper Milàn, the curator of the Geomuseum Faxe. 'So they took what they could and threw up the rest.' And then the vomit was lost to the mists of time. Until last November, when an amateur fossil hunter, Peter Bennicke, split a piece of chalk and discovered it. For decorum's sake, we had now better switch to a formal scientific name for fossilized vomit: regurgitalite. Ah, no, let's just stick with 'vomit.' Dr. Milàn speculated that the source of the vomit could have been a bottom-dwelling shark, one with crushing teeth, not sharp teeth. If that hypothesis is correct, the closest living relative would be the Port Jackson shark, found in Australia in modern times, he said. Though 66-million-year-old vomit is very old vomit, it falls short of a record. Dr. Milàn knows of finds from Germany dating back 150 million years. This was, however, the first find of its kind in Denmark, he said. The upchuck has attracted attention from all over, including China, Russia and the Arab world, Dr. Milàn said. And why does he think it has already gained such renown? 'Journalists are big boys,' he said. 'They like a story about vomit.' And he added, 'With the world situation, this is a funny story the world can relate to.' Now you may be laughing, too. Fine, go ahead. Barf is so funny. Ha-ha. But fossilized vomit can be informative to scholars, because it can reveal who ate what when. And this particular sample of vomit has been officially classified as 'danekrae,' a designation saved for Danish objects of 'exceptional natural historical value.' That means the vomit belongs to Denmark, not the finder, and must be turned over to a natural history museum. This vomit with 'exceptional value' will be displayed in the Geomuseum Faxe, in the town of Faxe, about 48 miles by car south of Copenhagen, over the winter holiday. As Dr. Milàn said, with perhaps more solemnity than you might expect, 'This is the most famous piece of puke in the world.'
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
66-Million-Year-Old vomit fossil discovered in Denmark
Some discoveries are hard to stomach — literally. A quirky and fascinating new addition to Denmark's natural history has been uncovered — a 66-million-year-old vomit fossil. The fossil, officially named Danekræ DK-1295, was found at Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark by local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke. "Danekræ" are rare natural treasures of Denmark. They must be evaluated by the national Danekræ committee of the Natural History Museum of Denmark before receiving the designation, according to the University of Copenhagen and National History Museum Denmark. Bennicke made the discovery after noticing a strange collection of sea lily fragments embedded in chalk and brought it to Geomuseum Faxe in November, according to Jesper Milàn, museum curator at Geomuseum Faxe. After a cleaning and analysis by Dutch sea lily expert John Jagt, it was determined that the clump contained remains from at least two species of sea lilies, the museum said. Regurgitalites, or fossilized vomit, are rare but invaluable to scientists studying ancient ecosystems as they reveal what predators ate and how food chains functioned millions of years ago, the museum said. Milàn said that the sea lilies were likely consumed by a Cretaceous-era predator, possibly a fish, that later spat out the indigestible parts. 'It is truly an unusual find. Sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet, as they mainly consist of calcareous plates held together by very few soft parts," Milàn stated in a Østsjællands Museum news release. Visitors can see this unusual relic of prehistoric dining habits during a special exhibition at the Geomuseum Faxe. This article was originally published on
NBC News
27-01-2025
- Science
- NBC News
66-Million-Year-Old vomit fossil discovered in Denmark
Some discoveries are hard to stomach — literally. A quirky and fascinating new addition to Denmark's natural history has been uncovered — a 66-million-year-old vomit fossil. The fossil, officially named Danekræ DK-1295, was found at Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark by local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke. "Danekræ" are rare natural treasures of Denmark. They must be evaluated by the national Danekræ committee of the Natural History Museum of Denmark before receiving the designation, according to the University of Copenhagen and National History Museum Denmark. Bennicke made the discovery after noticing a strange collection of sea lily fragments embedded in chalk and brought it to Geomuseum Faxe in November, according to Jesper Milàn, museum curator at Geomuseum Faxe. After a cleaning and analysis by Dutch sea lily expert John Jagt, it was determined that the clump contained remains from at least two species of sea lilies, the museum said. Regurgitalites, or fossilized vomit, are rare but invaluable to scientists studying ancient ecosystems as they reveal what predators ate and how food chains functioned millions of years ago, the museum said. Milàn said that the sea lilies were likely consumed by a Cretaceous-era predator, possibly a fish, that later spat out the indigestible parts. 'It is truly an unusual find. Sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet, as they mainly consist of calcareous plates held together by very few soft parts," Milàn stated in a Østsjællands Museum Visitors can see this unusual relic of prehistoric dining habits during a special exhibition at the Geomuseum Faxe.
