Freshwater Fossil Pearls from the Nihewan Basin, Early Early Pleistocene

PLoS One. 2016 Oct 19;11(10):e0164083. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164083. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Fossil blister pearls attached to the shells of an Anodonta mollusk from China, early Early Pleistocene, are reported here for the first time. The pearls were investigated in detail using a variety of methods. Micro-CT scanning of the fossil pearls was carried out to discover the inner structure and the pearl nucleus. Using CTAn software, changes in the gray levels of the biggest pearl, which reflect the changing density of the material, were investigated. The results provide us with some clues on how these pearls were formed. Sand grains, shell debris or material with a similar density could have stimulated the development of these pearls. X-ray diffraction analysis of one fossil pearl and the shell to which it was attached reveals that only aragonite exists in both samples. The internal structures of our fossil shells and pearls were investigated using a Scanning Electron Microscope. These investigations throw some light on pearl development in the past.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Fossils*
  • Fresh Water*
  • Geological Phenomena*
  • Mollusca*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (No. 2015FY310100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41172150, 31500183, 41472030, 31300186), the Ministry of Land and Resources of China (No. 201211005-1), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20160120-04, DD20160345, 12120114026701) and the Basic Research Fund of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (No. YYWF201501). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.