The world’s oldest known fossil was recently researched and identified by academics at the University of Plymouth, working in partnership with the University of Kansas and The Forge Fossils in Dorset.
There was a note accompanying it identifying the squid-like creature, but the fish which it was attached to had not been identified. Professor Hart had been working on the ‘ear-bones’ and ‘arm hooks’ of fossil ‘squid,’ so could easily identify this, but invited Professor Gloria Arratia from the University of Kansas to help with identifying the fish; which was discovered to be a herring-like fish.
Professor Hart explains that:
“it is clear that neither animal was eaten on the way to the sea floor and that is probably unusual (which explains why such fossils are so rare).”