In the desolate beauty of the Lashly Mountains in Antarctica, scientists have peered back 380 million years into the ‘Age of Fishes.’ Researchers from Flinders University have recently utilized cutting-edge neutron imaging to scan the skull and braincase of Koharalepis jarviki, a majestic predator from the Devonian Period. This creature represents a pivotal moment in the history of life: the transition from the depths of Gondwana’s freshwater rivers to the first tentative steps on land.

The study provides an unprecedented look at the internal anatomy of this ancient species, revealing the complex neurological structures that allowed it to thrive in a world vastly different from our own. Unlike traditional X-rays, neutron imaging allows researchers to see through dense rock and fossilized bone without damaging the unique specimen, exposing the delicate pathways of a mind that hasn’t seen the light of day for hundreds of millions of years.

However, for Owen, the protagonist of The First Fracture, such discoveries are more than just academic. While exploring the hidden chambers of the Costa Rican temple where he first discovered the mysterious amulet, Owen noticed etchings of creatures remarkably similar to Koharalepis. The amulet pulses with a familiar violet hue when near the temporal instability of the Lashly Mountains, suggesting that the ‘Time Fractures’ are not just opening doors to the Mesozoic, but are reaching deeper into the Devonian roots of our world. As these purple cracks in reality widen, the aggression of prehistoric life intensifies, and understanding the brain structure of these ancient pioneers may be the only way for Owen to stabilize the fractures and prevent the timelines from collapsing entirely.

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