Natural Sciences Active Updated Aug 5, 2026
How ancient human brains resist decay for millennia
More than 4,400 preserved human brains have turned up in archaeological digs spanning 12,000 years, often the only soft tissue surviving among otherwise skeletal remains. Oxford researchers led by Alexandra Seviour tested mouse carcasses in different water and oxygen conditions and found preservation follows a distinct chemical pathway, where the same reactions that normally cause decay instead weld breakdown products into a tougher tissue.
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Aug 5, 2026 Latest
Oxford paleobiology researcher Alexandra Seviour and colleagues buried mouse carcasses in four water and oxygen conditions for six months and used high-resolution mass spectrometry to show that human brain preservation follows a distinct chemical pathway that welds decay byproducts into a tougher tissue, rather than being a rare fluke of waterlogged burial.
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