Glowing fossils: Fluorescence reveals color patterns of earliest scallops

UV light makes it possible to see intricate structures of fossils that are barely visible in normal daylight. This method has often been used on the fossilized seashells from the Earth’s current geological era to reveal patterns of color that had long since faded away. Now, scientists show that fluorescent color patterns can even be found in shells that are around 240 million years old, from the Earth’s Mesozoic Era.