World's oldest articulated bony fish fossil unearthed in Chongqing

Researchers have unearthed the world's oldest articulated bony fish fossil, Eosteus chongqingensis, in Xiushan county, Chongqing. This remarkable find, dating back to the early Silurian Period, was published on Thursday in the journal Nature.

According to researchers, the discovery pushes the timeline of jawed vertebrates back by nearly 11 million years and offers insights into the evolutionary history of bony vertebrates, including humans.

The fossil was discovered at a local site with exceptional ancient life form preservation.

The research effort was coordinated by the Chongqing Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Chongqing Institute of Paleontology and a team led by academician Zhu Min from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their findings provide a complete record of jawed vertebrates from the little-understood Silurian Period, which began around 440 million years ago.

The discovery highlights Chongqing's pivotal role in paleontological research and enhances our understanding of the evolutionary journey from the oceans.