Scientists from ANU have discovered the oldest surviving biological colours from rocks retrieved under the West Sahara Desert.
The 1.1 billion-year-old pigments have a bright pink hue, but range from blood red to deep purple in their concentrated form. The pigments are fossilised molecules of chlorophyll produced by sea organisms.
“Imagine you could find a fossilised dinosaur skin that still has its original colour, green or blue... that is exactly the type of discovery that we've made," Associate Professor Jochen Brocks said.
When held against the sunlight, they are actually a neon pink."