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Questions tagged [fossils]

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94 questions
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15 votes
2 answers
576 views

Stromatolite fossils have a layered structure vaguely reminiscent of tree rings, which are a well-known source for climate data. Although the formation process of stromatolite layers is less seasonal ...
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12 votes
4 answers
13k views

Why are deserts famous for fossils? Is it a coincidence? Some examples: Giant Catfish Fossil Found in Egyptian Desert Chile's stunning fossil whale graveyard explained Giant Dinosaur Fossil Found ...
Porcupine's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
54k views

Due to a pleasant change in my circumstances, I have been to Lyme Regis several times recently, and it seems as though I'm going to be a regular visitor over the next few years. As a former biologist ...
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11 votes
1 answer
785 views

What parts of the fossil record are most lacking in specimens? That is, if you were to trace the evolution of a modern mammal (humans, for example) from abiogenesis to now, which periods are the most ...
naught101's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
7k views

I found a rock in the Mojave desert and it resembles a tree branch including what appears to be wood grain. Is there some test or observation that can be done at home to conclusively answer my ...
user350's user avatar
  • 119
10 votes
1 answer
237 views

I recently read of a company in Canada using robotic technology to study freshwater microbialites. Their claim is that greater understanding of terrestrial microbialites could help in the search for ...
Mark Rovetta's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
935 views

Absolute dating is the process of determining an approximate computed age of something like a fossil. How does that work?
Azzie Rogers's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
588 views

What are the main geological processes that can cause local biases in the fossil record, e.g. when comparing species diversity or species occurances in different areas from the same time period? I ...
fileunderwater's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
2k views

I've seen in several places that there seems to be an extinction cycle on Earth of approximately 27 million years. I've read this here: Life on Earth wiped out every 27 million years (but we've got ...
MxmastaMills's user avatar
  • 191
8 votes
1 answer
825 views

After wondering on the validity of the principle of Original Horizontality, I'm now focusing on the principle of fossil succession. This principle states that : Fossils of species that did not ...
Chirac's user avatar
  • 924
8 votes
1 answer
541 views

There are some unusual structures in recent images from the Mars Curiosity Rover's MAHLI (Mars Hand Lens Imager) shown in the Space.com article Curiosity Rover Spots Weird Tube-Like Structures on Mars....
uhoh's user avatar
  • 7,064
8 votes
0 answers
81 views

Image source: Wikimedia. There seems to be a few places in the world where amber (fossilized tree resin) can be found in large quantities: Amber can be found in many places around the world ...
Rebecca J. Stones's user avatar
  • 341
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the oldest fossil ever found on Earth? Where and when was it found? What was the oldest fossil with a brain with 2 hemispheres ever found?
Muze's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
459 views

I find that when ever I learn of a new fossil, the age of said fossil is always mentioned. This perplexes me given how intuitively rare it seems to have radioactive material to date a formation. I ...
Shannon's user avatar
  • 179
6 votes
1 answer
442 views

I found this on Lake Ontario in Canada. I was wondering is there is anything special/out of the ordinary about it?
Magali's user avatar
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