MAGNETO FOSSILS

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Scientists from the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, have discovered a 50,000-year-old giant magneto fossil in the Bay of Bengal, making it one of the youngest magneto fossils found to date.

ABOUT

• Magneto fossils are fossilized remains of magnetic particles created by magnetotactic bacteria, which align themselves along Earth’s magnetic field.
• These bacteria, first described in the 1960s, create tiny iron-rich crystals of magnetite or greigite, aiding navigation in changing oxygen levels.
• Using magnetic analyses and electron microscopy, scientists examined a sediment core from the Bay of Bengal, revealing needle, spindle, bullet, and spearhead-shaped magnetofossils, alongside conventional ones.
• The sediment’s origin was traced to river discharge, which supplied reactive iron, combining with organic carbon in low-oxygen conditions to foster magnetotactic bacteria growth.
• The presence of these fossils indicates prolonged suboxic conditions in the Bay of Bengal, supporting bacterial proliferation.