A 125-Million-Year-Old Shellfish Was Found With Its Babies Inside

A 125-million-year-old fossil mussel was found with embryos and larvae still tucked inside its gills.

It is the oldest known evidence of a shellfish brooding and caring for its young.

The species, Margaritifera valdensis, came from Cretaceous rocks on the Isle of Wight.

Tiny mineral deposits in the gills suggest mothers stored calcium for their developing babies.

The find shows a complex mussel reproductive cycle was already running 125 million years ago.

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