Word for the day: Coprolite

Originally Posted by WebSlave

And that is my question. What sort of "natural means" can do that?

* Sinking into mud.
* Being buried in a sand storm.
* Dropping to ocean/sea floor, going under sediment, with ocean water pushing more sediment onto it over time.
* Excrement that falls on beach, at low tide, then covered, by sediment, at high tide.
* On river bank/bed where water, etc., moves more sediment atop the excrement.
* Ash covering from volcanic eruption.
* Floods that carry mud/sediment, etc., covering/encasing the excrement.
* Falling into/aside a bog.
* Many methods/scenarios can occur.

In all situations, more & more sediment continues to layer, on top, via mother nature (wind, water, eruptions, tornadoes, hurricanes, landslides, etc.).
Those layers building up, over time, adding more & more weight to press down on the buried remains.
With water also seeping into/through sediment (via existing water, rain, etc.).
Weight also, after much time, compresses the sediment enough to turn the sediment into rock.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Seriously? It only takes 11,000 years for fossils to form?

It doesn't take that long, really, for a fossil to be made.
In fact, it can take less than 10-11,000 yrs.
'Course, there are some that may take longer.
Depends on type of fossil, the conditions, etc.

That said, natural fossils are not easily made. It truly takes the right conditions to exist or to come together (and luck that something does not damage/destroy the item/organism which is to be fossilized).

Originally Posted by Reptiles 101

I got my coprolite for a $1 a piece. I thought it would be funny to say to my friend i got you a piece of poop.

Exactly! it took thousands of years and numerous specific acts of nature to make poop, not worthless.

Sorry but this post is just full of crap......

Just out of curiosity, what is the YOUNGEST fossil known? In other words, the one that took the least amount of KNOWN time to be created.

Somthing about bodily waste always brings a smile to my face.

From what i was reading it depends on size of the item that is being fossilized and conditions so i dont think theres one in particular that fossilizes faster. My guess would be maybe a leaf.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Just out of curiosity, what is the YOUNGEST fossil known? In other words, the one that took the least amount of KNOWN time to be created.

Creationists and Evolutionists would argue over that.
I, personally, do not know what the *known* youngest (took the least time to be naturally created) fossil is.

Originally Posted by Pasodama

Creationists and Evolutionists would argue over that.
I, personally, do not know what the *known* youngest (took the least time to be naturally created) fossil is.

Ah, too bad. That might have helped me get a firmer grasp on how fossils are actually made, beyond just unsubstantiated theories.

So here's another question, then. Has anyone found an "almost a fossil"? Meaning biological material around half way into the process of becoming a full fledged fossil?

Or even more interesting, if it can take less than 11,000 years to create a fossil, are there human remains that have been fossilized?

Link to a t rex that had not been fully fossilized. http://www.livescience.com/41537-t-rex-soft-tissue.html

Originally Posted by Reptiles 101

Link to a t rex that had not been fully fossilized. http://www.livescience.com/41537-t-rex-soft-tissue.html

Shades of Jurassic Park!! Wonder if they could extract actual DNA and someday clone those beasts? Of course, not sure those animals could even survive on the Earth of today anyway. At least not the larger ones. I've read some interesting accounts about how the large dinosaurs could not even support their own weight in the gravity of the Earth we now know. Provides for some interesting speculation.