But the image alone cannot provide a definitive identification, and it does not establish whether the structure was actually built inside the aircraft, transported into the cargo area, or brought there on another object.
What makes the discovery so fascinating is the contrast between the object and its surroundings.
A seemingly prehistoric-looking lump of hardened material was found in the modern world of commercial aviation.
It may not be an aircraft part.
It may not be a fossil.
It may not be a mysterious piece of machinery.
It may simply be a tiny piece of insect architecture that traveled farther than anyone expected.
And that is a good reminder that sometimes the most interesting objects are the ones we almost mistake for something completely different.
It looked like a rock. It may have been built by an insect. And somehow, it ended up beside an airplane.
