World's oldest sperm found in Australia

SYDNEY - The world's oldest and best-preserved sperm, dating back 17 million years, has been unearthed in Australia, scientists said Wednesday.

The sperm from an ancient species of tiny shrimp was discovered at the Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site, an area in the far north of the state of Queensland where many extraordinary prehistoric Australian animals have previously been found.

They include giant, toothed platypuses and flesh-eating kangaroos.

Mike Archer, from the University of New South Wales School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who has been excavating at Riversleigh for 35 years, said the sperm was an exciting find.

"These are the oldest fossilised sperm ever found in the geological record," he said.

The sperm are thought to have been longer than the male’s entire body, but were tightly coiled up inside the sexual organs of the fossilised freshwater crustaceans, known as ostracods.

"We have become used to delightfully unexpected surprises in what turns up there," he added of Riversleigh.

"But the discovery of fossil sperm, complete with sperm nuclei, was totally unexpected. It now makes us wonder what other types of extraordinary preservation await discovery in these deposits."
AFP


-- The Nation 2014-05-14

Granpa, is that yours?

"...longer than the male’s entire body...."

"...longer than the males entire body...."

Don't even try to visualise it in a human scenario.

The last FAP

My day is now complete.

"...longer than the male’s entire body...."

Would have given a h3ll of a pearl necklace.

For a minute there I thought Hugh Hefner was on a visit.

Nasty.

Nothing gets past you webfact, sniffing around in all the right, errr wrong places .

At last, ''the second coming.''

nah... they'll find older sperm from the old geezers in Pattaya

It now makes us wonder what other types of extraordinary preservation await discovery in these deposits."

There's no coal there, is there?

Fossilised sperm? That's hard to swallow! And I was thinking that older spem could be found in a local hooker's vagina!

Totally boggled!!!!!!

I thought they were talking about a remains of an ancient falecio.....

what are they going to do with it?

"...longer than the male’s entire body...."

Then its mine

I thought someone had unearthed carpeting from a motel Rupert Murdoch stayed in as a youth.

"...longer than the male’s entire body...."

wow! that's one squirt of sperm,must of have big balls!

I had an uncle that lived to be 104 . . . .

If this is injected into a Thai surrogate mother will the product be named Kung?

They've dug up the Rolling Stones.

A 17 million years old fossilized sperm?

Does it come with an equally old fossilized penis?

If - 'yes' - that must be the longest erection by far!

I always thought that was in some bloke using a cane on Soi Cowboy!

It Really amazes me that some of the members on this forum cant give a decent reply to a topic like this without treating it as a joke, obviously this type of topic does not interest any of you?

Please don't take me as a party pooper! I do have a sense of humour but it seems when a topic like this comes on TV everybody thinks they are in a competition to reply with the best sick joke

Please Guys..................all of your replies seem a little boring, What have all the Thai bashers run out of comments today?

I think I will now just read the topics instead of the replies...................Disappointed!!

As the Goons would have said: 'Happy birthday to you'.

happy to see no picture was added....

The only news coming out of Australia today is budget. Good to see some other news agency reporting other news.

It Really amazes me that some of the members on this forum cant give a decent reply to a topic like this without treating it as a joke, obviously this type of topic does not interest any of you?

Please don't take me as a party pooper! I do have a sense of humour but it seems when a topic like this comes on TV everybody thinks they are in a competition to reply with the best sick joke

Please Guys..................all of your replies seem a little boring, What have all the Thai bashers run out of comments today?

I think I will now just read the topics instead of the replies...................Disappointed!!

My friend, tenaceous,

let it go... what are we here for if not for fun?

I find you to be too serious............... Disappointed!!

Have they compared it with the ex-pat dinosaurs on Viagra...?