‘Disgusting And Smelly’ Experiment Shows How Spectacular Fossils Form

Science ‘Disgusting And Smelly’ Experiment Shows How Spectacular Fossils Form David Bressan Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I deal with the rocky road to our modern understanding of earth New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Aug 9, 2022, 03:34pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A 50-million-year-old fossil fish found in the Green River limestone, Wyoming.

Universal Images Group via Getty Images New research at the University of Leicester has transformed scientists’ understanding of how spectacular fossils with delicate soft tissues form. While most fossils are permineralized “hard” tissues, such as bone, shells or teeth, some rare sites around the world had unique conditions which allowed minerals to fossilize soft parts such skin, muscles and other organs . But one aspect of this rare preservation that has troubled scientists is why some internal organs seem to fossilize more commonly that others.

For a possible answer, researchers in Leicester’s Center for Paleobiology developed an experiment to study the chemical reactions inside a decaying fish over the course of two-and-a-half months. Their findings show that specific tissue chemistry governs its likelihood to be replaced by minerals and explains why some organs are preserved in great detail, while other organs are seemingly lost to time. Dr.

Thomas Clements , now of the University of Birmingham, led the study during his time as a Ph. D. researcher at Leicester.

He says that “one of the best ways that soft tissue can turn into rock is when they are replaced by a mineral called apatite (calcium-phosphate). Scientists have been studying calcium phosphate for decades trying to understand how this process happens—but one question we just don’t understand is why some internal organs seem more likely to be preserved than others. ” “We designed an experiment observing rotting fish, which was disgusting and smelly, but we made an interesting discovery.

” “The organs don’t generate special microenvironments—they all rot in a kind of ‘soup’ together. This means that it is the specific tissue chemistry of the organs that governs their likelihood to turn into fossils. ” MORE FOR YOU New Research Finds A Connection Between Domestic Violence And These Two Personality Disorders This Scientist Helps Andean Forests And Ecuador’s Women In STEM Exceptional Fossil Preservation Suggests That Discovering Dinosaur DNA May Not Be Impossible In order for a soft tissue to permineralize, its acidity must fall below a threshold level.

At this acidity, if the fossil is buried quickly, calcium-phosphate and other minerals can begin the fossilization process. Some organs like the digestive system, already filled with stomach acid, are more likely to achieve the necessary acidity levels in time. Sarah Gabbott , Professor of Paleobiology and co-author of the paper, added that “watching and recording (and smelling) how a fish rots may not be most people’s idea of science, but for paleontologists understanding the process of decay is crucial to revealing which anatomical features of an animal are likely to become a fossil, and what they will look like.

” “We were really pleased with the results because we can now explain, for example, why fossils often preserve an animal’s gut but never preserve their liver. ” The paper ” Experimental analysis of organ decay and pH gradients within a carcass and the implications for phosphatization of soft tissues ” is published in Palaeontology (2022). Materials provided by University of Leicester .

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