This tiny brain comes from a 319-million-year-old fish

Fossils have been recovered in a number of strange and surprising places including museum drawers and deep in present day deserts. More than a century ago, a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish was found at the Mountain Fourfoot coal mine in Lancashire, England. It was safely stored at the Manchester Museum and scientists are still learning from it 125 years later.

A CT scan of the fossil has revealed it contains the oldest example of a well-preserved vertebrate brain. The findings are documented in a study published February 1 in the journal Nature. The brain and cranial nerves…