Medieval Child's Brain Found Preserved

Discovery News ^ | Monday, March 15, 2010 | Rossella Lorenzi

[SunkenCiv]

An international team of researchers has identified intact neurons and cerebral cells in a mummified medieval brain, according to a study published in the journal Neuroimage. Found inside the skull of a 13th century A.D. 18-month-old child from northwestern France, the brain had been fixed in formalin solution since its discovery in 1998. "Although reduced by about 80 percent of its original weight, it has retained its anatomical characteristics and most of all, to a certain degree its cell structures," anatomist and palaeopathologist Frank Ruhli, head of the Swiss Mummy Project at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, told Discovery News.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Uncle Miltie]

"Abby Something?"

[the invisib1e hand]

how long before it shows up on eBay?

[The Sons of Liberty]

Joe Biden has been looking for that.

[Shaun_MD]

How long before Nancy Pelosi shows up with a vacuum hose.

[pillut48]

Either that baby was someone very important, or someone really, REALLY loved him/her. :*(

Sad to hear of the death of a child, but fascinating to hear the science of preservation of the brain!

[left that other site]

If it has shrunk 80%,

Then it’s too tense!

Two tense the size of a normal brain!

Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

[fanfan]

There was a picture, but aren't you glad I didn't post it?

Looked like a rock to me. :-)

[Tennessee Nana]

WOW

I wonder why they wait years to announce these finds ???

[colorado tanker]

Gee, if only they'd had one of these, they could have put it it back in.

[ApplegateRanch]

If not for the caption, I would have mistaken it for a picture of a coprolite.

[SunkenCiv]

Maybe the kid had [bleep] for brains.

[Bellflower]

Hey, do the DNA so people can see if it's an ancestor.

[SunkenCiv]

Actually, I’m thinking of warming it in the microwave and serving it with some sauteed mushrooms.

[marsh2]

obviously not an ancestor of anyone if he/she died as a toddler.

[Bellflower]

obviously not an ancestor of anyone if he/she died as a toddler.

Excuse me. You are right, but you knew what I meant. This child may be someone who shares family DNA with someone current.