Barnacles attached to a piece of debris which could be part of MH370 are old enough to fit with the timeline of when the plane went down, an expert has said.
Marine biologist Dr Phillip Cowie told ITV News he believed they were goose-necked barnacles which are usually found in tropical waters.
From looking at photographs, Dr Cowie said some of them appeared to be adults, which can range from a few months to a year old. Flight MH370 has been missing since it took off on March 8, 2014.
But unless the species turn out to be rare, the barnacles are unlikely to help with any indication as to where the rest of the wreckage might be.
"The point of origin is difficult to pinpoint unless they are a very uncommon species," said Dr Cowie.
"The nature of these barnacles is that they are often spread across a very wide area, so sadly they may not be of much use in determining much else."
