‘Beautifully preserved’ 380-million-year-old fish heart fossil found in reef

Discovery could shed light on evolution of human body

The position of the organs found in the fossil resemble that of the modern day shark’s anatomy (via REUTERS)

Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest heart in a 380 million-year-old fossil of a jawed fish.

Researchers from Curtin University in Australia found the “beautifully preserved” heart alongside a separate fossilised stomach, intestine and liver, with the organs’ position resembling that of a shark’s anatomy.

The hope is that the discovery could shed light on how creatures, including humans, evolved.