Preserved sperm in a shrimp more than 16 million years old has been discovered in Queensland.

The finding marks a breakthrough in the tracking of the evolution of the shrimp, or ostracod.

The perfectly preserved ancient creature, found in the Riversleigh region in northern Queensland, has allowed scientists to compare the shrimp of the past with how it is today and found very little has changed.

“The sperm and its sub-cellular structure is believed to be the oldest and best preserved on record,” said Professor Michael Archer from the University of NSW, overseer of the excavation site.