‘Living pigment’ in ancient Australian rock art discovered

Some examples of ancient rock art in Western Australia maintain their vivid colors because they are alive, researchers have found.

Scientists at the University of Queensland have discovered that colorful bacteria and fungi have colonized the rock paintings, the BBC reported Monday.

Researcher Jack Pettigrew and his colleagues studied 80 rock artworks in 16 locations in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

They found some of the oldest examples showed signs of life, but no paint.

The team dubbed the phenomenon living pigments — via vanessa-wilson73.newsvine.com