A recent study published in Earth Science Reviews examines how both the shine and excellent preservation of fossils discovered at Germany’s Posidonia | Earth And The Environment
A recent study by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and collaborators found that many of the fossils from Germany’s Posidonia shale do not get their gleam from pyrite, commonly known as fool’s gold, which was long thought to be the source of the shine. Instead, the golden hue is from a mix of minerals that hints at the conditions in which the fossils formed. The discovery is important for understanding how the fossils which are among the world’s best-preserved specimens of sea life from the Early Jurassic came to form in the first place, and the role that oxygen in the environment had in their formation.
Golden fossils reveal origins of exceptional preservation sciencedaily.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sciencedaily.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A new study suggests that climate change can also affect dead animals. 183 million years ago, rising global temperatures and rapid climate change may have caused fossilization conditions in the oceans that play a major role in preserving the soft and delicate parts of dead marine animals.