Fossils found coated in diamonds

Ancient sea creatures living after the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs had a thing for bling which was out of this world.

Scientists have discovered that they coated themselves with tiny diamonds made from carbon brought to Earth in the space rock.

Fossils of the single-celled organisms were discovered in the Umbria-Marche basin of eastern Italy.

The amoeba-like creatures made their own armour by sticking together sediment grains from the ocean floor.

Researchers from University College London collected the fossils from rock samples just above and below the sediment layer created by the massive asteroid impact 65 million years ago.

When the asteroid smashed into the Earth off the coast of Mexico the extreme pressure and temperatures generated manufactured diamonds.

Some of the tiny jewels were formed by crushing and heating Earthly graphite rock. But others were truly extraterrestrial, being made from carbon carried in the asteroid.

The scientists found evidence of these microscopic diamonds in the fossils.

Other grains present were unusually rich in metals such as nickel and cobalt, indicating an extraterrestrial origin.

The organisms, known as agglutinated foraminifera, are thought to have selected the diamonds for their density.

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