Rosa Rubicondior: Refuting Creationism - A Exceptionally Detailed Fossil - From 440 Million Years Before 'Creation Week'

Refuting Creationism

A Exceptionally Detailed Fossil
From 440 Million Years Before 'Creation Week'

The fossil Keurbos susanae - or Sue - in the rock.

New species revealed after 25 years of study on ‘inside out’ fossil – and named after discoverer’s mum | News | University of Leicester

A major problem for creationists who cling to the delusion that Earth was magically created only 6,000 to 10,000 years ago is that this timescale leaves approximately 99.9975% of Earth's actual history unaccounted for. Consequently, there is an overwhelming abundance of evidence contradicting their beliefs. To maintain their position, creationists are forced to rely on increasingly elaborate mental gymnastics to dismiss the clear indications of an ancient Earth within an even older Universe—evidence consistently revealed and verified by multiple scientific disciplines, including palaeontology and geology.

What information do you have on the Ordovician period in South Africa and particularly the Soom Shale and how it was dated?

Further confirmation has recently emerged in an open-access paper published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology, led by Professor Sarah Gabbott of the University of Leicester’s School of Geography, Geology and the Environment. The study reports on a remarkable 440-million-year-old fossil discovered in the Soom Shale Konservat-Lagerstätte (Ordovician period) in South Africa. The fossil represents a new species of euarthropod and is notable for its exceptional preservation, including details of its connective endoskeleton and muscular anatomy (myoanatomy).

The Ordovician period in South Africa, and particularly the Soom Shale Lagerstätte, provides a rare and highly valuable window into early Paleozoic life. Here’s a breakdown of what’s known, with a focus on the Soom Shale and how it's been dated.
Ordovician Period Overview (South Africa)

Timeframe: ~485 to 443 million years ago.
Geological context: South Africa during the Ordovician was located near the South Pole as part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.
Climate: The period included the Late Ordovician glaciation, one of the most severe ice ages in Earth’s history, especially affecting the southern continents.
Marine environment: Much of the region that is now South Africa was submerged under shallow seas, leading to the deposition of marine sediments.

The Soom Shale Lagerstätte

Location: Western Cape Province, South Africa, part of the Cape Supergroup.
Age: Late Ordovician, specifically around ~440 million years ago (Hirnantian stage).
Stratigraphy: The Soom Shale is part of the Cederberg Formation, which in turn is part of the Table Mountain Group within the Cape Supergroup.
Depositional environment: The Soom Shale was deposited in an anoxic (oxygen-poor) marine setting—likely at the base of a glacially influenced continental shelf. The low-oxygen conditions allowed for exceptional preservation.

Fossil Significance

Type of fossils: Soft-bodied organisms with exceptional preservation of anatomical details, including soft tissues like muscles and internal organs (e.g., the recent arthropod find).
Preservation mode: Fossils are preserved as thin carbonaceous films or mineral replacements, often with pyrite (iron sulphide). These conditions suggest rapid burial in a fine-grained, low-energy environment, with minimal bacterial decay due to anoxia.

Dating the Soom Shale

The age of the Soom Shale has been established through a combination of methods:

Biostratigraphy

Based primarily on the identification of graptolites—extinct, colonial marine animals often used as index fossils for Ordovician rocks.
Correlation with other well-dated Hirnantian graptolite assemblages globally has helped constrain the age.

Stratigraphic correlation

The Soom Shale is sandwiched between better-known formations within the Cape Supergroup, providing additional relative dating constraints.

Radiometric dating (indirect)

While no direct radiometric dates from the Soom Shale are commonly cited, associated ash beds or globally correlated horizons (e.g., glacial deposits) offer anchoring points via U-Pb dating of zircon in other regions.

Palaeoenvironmental Importance

The Soom Shale offers one of the few Lagerstätten (sites of exceptional fossil preservation) from the Late Ordovician, especially in high-latitude Gondwana.
It provides insight into:

Life in post-glacial marine ecosystems.
The resilience and recovery of ecosystems following the Late Ordovician mass extinction.
The anatomy of soft-bodied organisms rarely preserved elsewhere.

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The discovery and its significance are explained in a Leicester University News Item:

New species revealed after 25 years of study on ‘inside out’ fossil – and named after discoverer’s mum
A new species of fossil from 444 million years ago that has perfectly preserved insides has been affectionately named ‘Sue’ after its discoverer’s mum.
The result of 25 years of work by a University of Leicester palaeontologist and published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology today (27 March), the study details a new species of multisegmented fossil and is now officially named as Keurbos susanae.

‘Sue’ is an inside-out, legless, headless wonder. Remarkably her insides are a mineralised time-capsule: muscles, sinews, tendons and even guts all preserved in unimaginable detail. And yet her durable carapace, legs and head are missing – lost to decay over 440 million years ago. We are now sure she was a primitive marine arthropod but her precise evolutionary relationships remain frustratingly elusive.

Professor Sarah Gabbott, lead author.
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Leicester University, Leicester, UK.

Today about 85% of animals on Earth are arthropods, and they include shrimps, lobsters, spiders, mites, millipedes and centipedes.

They have an excellent fossil record stretching back over 500 million years but usually their fossil remains are of their external features, whereas ‘Sue’ is the complete opposite because it is her insides that are fossilized.

The fossil was found in the Soom Shale, a band of silts and clays at a location 250 miles north of Cape Town in South Africa. These strata were laid down on the seafloor over 440 million years ago at a time when a devastating glaciation had wiped out about 85% of Earth’s species – one of the big five ‘mass extinctions’. It seems that the marine basin in which ‘Sue’ swam was somehow protected from the worst of the freezing conditions and a fascinating community of animals, including ‘Sue’, took refuge there.

Professor Sarah Gabbott at the location where the fossil was discovered.

The conditions in the sediments where Sue came to rest were toxic in the extreme. There was no oxygen but worse than that there was deadly (and stinking) hydrogen sulphide dissolved in the water. The researchers suspect that a strange chemical alchemy was at work in creating the fossil and its unusual inside-out preservation.

But there is a downside, because the unique preservation of ‘Sue’ makes it difficult to compare her to other fossils of the era and so it remains a mystery how she fits into the evolutionary tree of life.

The small roadside quarry where Professor Gabbott found the fossils 25 years ago at the start of her academic career has all but disappeared and so other specimens are unlikely to be found. The fossil was incredibly difficult to interpret and Professor Gabbott held out hope of finding another specimen with its head or legs intact.

This has been an ultramarathon of a research effort. In a large part because this fossil is just so beautifully preserved there’s so much anatomy there that needs interpreting. Layer upon on layer of exquisite detail and complexity. I’d always hoped to find new specimens but it seems after 25 years of searching this fossil is vanishingly rare – so I can hang on no longer. Especially as recently my mum said to me ‘Sarah if you are going to name this fossil after me, you’d better get on and do it before I am in the ground and fossilized myself’.

I tell my mum in jest that I named the fossil Sue after her because she is a well-preserved specimen! But, in truth, I named her Sue because my mum always said I should follow a career that makes me happy – whatever that may be. For me that is digging rocks, finding fossils and then trying to figure out how they lived what they tell us about ancient life and evolution on Earth.

Professor Sarah Gabbott.

Publication
Gabbott, S.E., Edgecombe, G.D., Theron, J.N. and Aldridge, R.J. (2025),
A new euarthropod from the Soom Shale (Ordovician) Konservat-Lagerstätte, South Africa, with exceptional preservation of the connective endoskeleton and myoanatomy. Pap Palaeontol, 11: e70004. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70004

Abstract
A new exceptionally preserved euarthropod, Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Ordovician Soom Shale Konservat-Lagerstätte of South Africa, is described herein. Two specimens exhibit an unusual preservation style such that the cuticular exoskeleton is preserved in low relief but retains high-fidelity details, whereas the internal anatomy is preserved in three dimensions and includes myoanatomy and aspects of the connective inter- and intrasegmental endoskeleton. The trunk has 46 homonomous segments and tapers towards the posterior. The dorsal surface comprises the posterior margins of tergites that form rounded paratergal folds at their lateral margins. Sternal morphology is seen from an internal view of the fossils and includes axial sternites and associated ovoid plates, both with fringing setae along their posterior margins. Patchy, incomplete preservation of the appendages is consistent with the ‘reversed’ taphonomy of these fossils in which sclerotized elements that project beyond the body margin, such as lamellae with vascular channels and pits, are preserved, whereas those inside the body margins are absent or poorly expressed. Euarthropod characters include an arthrodized tergal and sternal exoskeleton, and a segmental connective endoskeleton. Recent depopulation of the euarthropod stem group has witnessed conspicuously arthrodized fossils formerly placed in the stem group being shifted into the crown, increasing the likelihood that Keurbos is likewise a crown-group euarthropod. Comparison with a phylogenetically disparate suite of similarly homonomous, multisegmented taxa indicates no convincing synapomorphies. The grouping of relevant middle Palaeozoic exemplars as ‘enantiopod’ pancrustaceans could suggest that Keurbos might be allied.

Euarthropods (chelicerates, myriapods and pancrustaceans including the insects) are a well-represented and diverse phylum in the fossil record. The earliest euarthropod body fossils date to c. 521 Ma (Daley et al.. 2018) and there is a coherent picture of their subsequent radiation and evolution captured in exceptionally preserved fossil deposits (Edgecombe & Legg 2014; Edgecombe 2020; Aria 2022).

Much of our knowledge of the anatomy of early Palaeozoic arthropods is derived from sites of Burgess Shale-type preservation. These biotas provide a record of decay-resistant extracellular structures such as the cuticular exoskeleton and appendages, as well as more labile/decay-prone cellular tissues such as the gut and musculature (Butterfield 2002, 2003; Vannier et al.. 2014; Strang et al.. 2016; Young & Vinther 2017). In addition, the same deposits can record details of the neural anatomy in euarthropods (e.g. Ma et al.. 2012; Cong et al.. 2014; Ortega-Hernández et al.. 2022).

Burgess Shale-type preservation presents two broad taphonomic pathways: the first, the most frequently occurring, is that in which more recalcitrant external structures are preserved as essentially two-dimensional carbonaceous compressions; the second, much rarer pathway is that in which labile internal structures (guts and muscles) are captured in three-dimensional relief, through early authigenic mineralization, most typically by calcium phosphate. In cases in which silica preserves musculature this is thought to be secondary replacement of an earlier phosphate phase (Young & Vinther 2017). The Late Ordovician fossils described in this contribution present a unique taphonomic style that shares some aspects with Burgess Shale-type preservation but is also distinct. Except for anatomy that projects beyond the body margin the external cuticular features are either not preserved or occur as low-relief imprints. The majority of fossil anatomy is represented by three-dimensionally preserved internal anatomy. As such the fossils provide a view of the endoskeleton and myoanatomy that is known in few other fossil euarthropod taxa.

The purposes of this contribution are: (1) to taxonomically describe a new genus and species from the Soom Shale Konservat-Lagerstätte and place constraints on its position in the euarthropod tree; and (2) to describe its internal anatomy and endoskeleton and compare this with other examples in the Palaeozoic, and to provide a taphonomic basis for anatomical interpretations.

FIG. 1

Holotype C1002, Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. A, complete specimen of the part. B, line drawing showing the main morphological features. To aid orientation the exoskeletal anatomy is shaded: pink, sternites; orange, ovoid plates. Abbreviations: lvl, lower vascularized lamella; uvl, upper vascularized lamella. Scale bar represents 20 mm.

FIG. 2

Paratype C2044, Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. A, the specimen part. B, line drawing showing the main morphological features. To aid orientation the exoskeletal anatomy is shaded: blue, tergite boundaries; pink, sternites; orange, ovoid plates. Abbreviations: ptf, paratergal fold; uvl, upper vascularized lamella. Scale bar represents 20 mm.

FIG. 3

Taphonomy of Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. A–H, paratype C2044. I–L holotype C1002. In all images lighter areas indicate relatively higher abundance of the elements. A, paratype counterpart specimen photograph of the anterior block; B–H, μXRF analysis of the specimen. I, back-scattered electron image of anterior setose structure; J–L, EDX maps: J, carbon map; K, calcium map; L, phosphorus. Scale bars represent: 20 mm (A–H); 500 μm (I–L).

FIG. 4

Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. Anatomy of the cephalon in the holotype C1002. A, counterpart, showing bilaterally symmetrical disposition of the cephalic anatomy that tapers anteriorly (above the horizontal crack) in relation to the trunk; dashed rectangle indicates the location of C. B, arcuate setose structure on the right side in A. C, muscle fibres and arcuate setose structure on the right side in A. D, composite image showing the anatomy of the cephalic region on the counterpart; white arrowhead indicates subcircular patches of robust material with a granular texture; black arrowhead indicates a narrow linear feature. Abbreviations: as, arcuate setose structure; m, muscle. Scale bars represent: 10 mm (A, D); 1 mm (B, C).

FIG. 5

Dorsal morphology of Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. A–C, paratype C2044; D–G, holotype C1002. A, counterpart; white arrowheads indicate tergites that are broken (see also Figs 3, 11). B, part showing three tergites; white arrowhead shows position of C. C, close-up of regular ridges on the posterior margin of a tergite. D, impressions of dimples in the light-coloured sediment that may represent the texture of the dorsal exoskeleton are subtle but best seen at the midpoint along the axis. E, possible preservation of finely ribbed tergal exoskeleton. F, counterpart showing two tergites; dashed rectangle indicates the location of G. G, counterpart showing regular ridges on the posterior margin of a tergite. Abbreviations: op, sternal oval plate; t, tergite; tds, transverse dorsal structure. Scale bars represent: 10 mm (A, D); 5 mm (E, F); 1 mm (B, C, G).

FIG. 6

Paratype C2044, showing paratergal fold morphology. A, right lateral half of part showing the imbricating folds, one for each segment (see Fig. 2 for a line drawing and Fig. 11 for an outline of the paratergal folds); white arrowhead indicates Promissum pulchrum conodont apparatus (also on B); white dotted rectangle shows the location of B. B, close-up of the paratergal folds showing their feathery texture, with two thickened lines with prominent relief on the anterior edge of each fold (black arrowheads). C, back-scattered electron image of thickened line at the anterior edge of a paratergal fold (black arrowhead) and small patches of black, carbonaceous material representing the texture of the paratergal fold; the texture mimics the white dashed line and forms multiple arcs roughly parallel to the outer margin of the paratergal fold. D, back-scattered electron image of two thickened lines at the anterior edge of the paratergal fold (black arrowheads) and between them a series of evenly spaced lines that are perpendicular to the thickened lines; the bright areas in the image are composed of elevated Ca and P and are calcium phosphate. Abbreviations: ptf, paratergal fold; uvl, upper vascularized lamella. Scale bars represent: 10 mm (A); 5 mm (B); 500 μm (C, D).

FIG. 7
Ventral morphology of Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. A–C, holotype C1002; D–F, paratype C2044. A, sternites, ovoid plates and endoskeleton; anteriorly the sternites are narrow (sag.) and do not meet at the midline (white sternite), in the posterior the sternites are broader and meet axially to form a Y-shaped structure (black sternite); the area between the white dashed and black dashed lines indicates the location of B and C, respectively. B, close-up of segments between white dashed lines in A, showing the axial Y-shaped structure where bilaterally symmetrical subrectangular sternites possess a thickened margin; there are two types of endoskeleton, en 1 representing possible tendons and en2 representing an extension of the sternite plate laterally, extending closer to the body margin (outlined in white dots). C, close-up of segments between black dashed lines in A showing, in addition to the morphology in B, the setae along the posterior margins of the sternites and oval plates (black arrowheads). D, sternites with three-dimensional thickened margins forming a Y-shaped structure at the axis, ornamented sternal ovoid plates (white dotted boundaries) and muscle fibres that overlie the ovoid plates. E, close-up of three of the ovoid plates outlined in D showing a characteristic spongy texture that is identical to the sternite texture (black arrowhead). F, three-dimensional relief of the sternite Y-shaped structure, which may be brittle and could break. Abbreviations: en1, endosternite 1; en2, endosternite 2; m, muscle; op, sternal ovoid plate; s, sternite; t, tergite. Scale bars represent: 10 mm (A–C); 2 mm (D–F).

FIG. 8

Vascularized lamellae of Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. (holotype C1002). A, section of the trunk with the best-preserved lamellae; the morphology of upper vascularized lamellae consists of a frayed and wrinkled lateral margin (black-outlined white arrowheads); a ridge along the midline (black arrowhead) from which extend posterolaterally a series of veins that form a gently scalloped posterior margin (white arrowheads); and a robust ‘strut’ that tapers to a point approximately two-thirds along the lamella margin (grey arrowheads). The white dashed rectangle indicates the area of B, and the black dashed rectangle indicates the area of C. B, fine details of the lower vascularized lamella; note faint veins extending posterolaterally from the central dark line (white arrowheads). C, two upper vascularized lamellae and underlying lower lamella (white arrowhead). Abbreviation: lvl, lower vascularized lamella. Scale bars represent: 20 mm (A); 5 mm (B, C); 1 mm (D).

FIG. 9

Vascularized lamellae of Keurbos susanae gen. et sp. nov. (holotype C1002). A, section of the trunk with the best-preserved lamellae; the morphology of upper vascularized lamellae consists of a frayed and wrinkled lateral margin (black-outlined white arrowheads); a ridge along the midline (black arrowhead) from which extend posterolaterally a series of veins that form a gently scalloped posterior margin (white arrowheads); and a robust ‘strut’ that tapers to a point approximately two-thirds along the lamella margin (grey arrowheads). The white dashed rectangle indicates the area of B, and the black dashed rectangle indicates the area of C. B, fine details of the lower vascularized lamella; note faint veins extending posterolaterally from the central dark line (white arrowheads). C, two upper vascularized lamellae and underlying lower lamella (white arrowhead). Abbreviation: lvl, lower vascularized lamella. Scale bars represent: 20 mm (A); 5 mm (B, C); 1 mm (D).

Gabbott, S.E., Edgecombe, G.D., Theron, J.N. and Aldridge, R.J. (2025),
A new euarthropod from the Soom Shale (Ordovician) Konservat-Lagerstätte, South Africa, with exceptional preservation of the connective endoskeleton and myoanatomy. Pap Palaeontol, 11: e70004. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70004

Copyright: © 2025 The authors.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Open access.
Reprinted under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)

Cue: It's a forger; the scientists lied about it; it drowned in 'The Flood' and got buried; the dating was faulty because radioactive decay rates were higher so 10,000 years just looks like 440 million years; my mummy and daddy were creationists, and they are never wrong.

But, despite all the hand-waving denialism, the fact remains that there were arthropods like this living 440 million years ago and their fossilised remains are just another refutation of creationism. Curiously, creationists would rather be wrong than admit they are wrong.

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