The fossil record is best know for its bones or shells. In fact almost all of the fossil record is one of hard parts; not great if you wish to study the evolution of jellyfish! But recently 15 million year old sea-snail proteins have been reported. We may not be able to have Jurassic Park, but could we have Miocene Snail Park? Although it sounds less exciting (but marginally safer), there is now the possibility to understand the genetics of an extinct organism that lived 15 million years ago.
Scientists have found 'beautifully preserved' 15-million-year-old thin protein sheets in fossil shells from southern Maryland. The team collected samples from Calvert Cliffs, along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay, a popular fossil collecting area. They found fossilized shells of a snail-like mollusk called Ecphora that lived in the mid-Miocene era.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205083702.htm
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