What are fossils?                                                                                                    The term fossils comes from Latin  and means “dug up”. They are the remains of life forms that lived before us on our planet. The remains of a plant or animal and their tracks, have to become buried under sand, silt, clay, mud or similar for it to become a fossil. After time and often under pressure from the sediments above and involving chemical reactions, the sediment hardens and forms eventually more or less rock. The ancient live form is inside and turned into part of that rock. These sediments get shifted up and down and away by tectonic processes. Seafloors lift to become mountain tops, land sinks under the ocean, continents and parts of landmasses get moved away in a process called plate tectonic. It is believed and proven, that North America/ South America has been connected to Europe/Asia and Africa, until they broke up and separated over millions of years. Many of the same fossils found on all of these continents are the proof of that event. There are basically three different types of fossils. 1.) Trace Fossils like tracks and burrows of ancient animals.     2.) Impression Fossils are basically molds. They are formed when a living object (leaf, shell or bone etc.)gets dissolved in the sediment and leaves a hollow space featuring an internal and external mold.            3.) Replacement Fossils are fossils where the original object or the hollow of the mold is replaced by finer materials, or different materials due to crystallization. To be honest there is a lot of confusion and overlap in these definitions.

How old are fossils?

The oldest known fossils could be Hematolite Tubes from Quebec/Canada believed to be 4,2 billion years old and made by Bacteria. Some would say a bit old since earth is  believed to be only 4,5 billion years old. They are followed by Cyanobacteria creating Stromatolites 3,5 billion years ago found in Australia. Fossilised Seaweed Like Structures appear about 1,56 billion years in China. They resemble Algae. The Ediacarian fauna appears about 635 to 541 Mio years ago worldwide. They are tube like lifeforms thought to be Algae, Lychens , Porifera or perhaps something else that became extinct or evolved. The Cambrian explosion started in the Upper Lower Cambrian around 525 million years ago worldwide. Fossils in Russia, Australia, Germany (Ludwigsdorf), Burgess Shale /Canada, Chengjang/ China, representing after Algae, soft bodied animals, Small Shell Animals, Trilobites and Hyolithes. In the Middle Cambrian around 505 million years ago life was abundant and wide spread. The age of fossils is determent by radio carbon dating with errors involved. All these fossils found in centuries give an impressive picture of evolution and life on our planet.

Fossil collecting for everybody!

The best way to find fossils is to go out and dig them up. Blessed are the ones that have them at their door steps. A huge amount of fossils are found by private collectors. But the research of the scientists creates the scientific picture around them. Fossils became a serious hobby for some and some like them for decoration due to their beauty. For some they became a commodity. The most interesting ones end up in museums at time.

In many countries like Morocco or Bavaria in Germany fossils are quarried. They became a source of income for the quarry owners and preparators. Morocco has a soft tourism industry involving fossils. Bavarian quarries are full during the school breaks ad weekends. They create a great addition to the soft tourism industry with small hotels, restaurants, museums and u-dig quarries involved. People come with their kids and they want to do other things to while staying. They hike, go on rides on the old steam train, see historical sites, go in caves and collect fossils. It profits the whole area. And it profits the people by gaining education!!!

In many countries you can make gravel out of fossils, but you can not take them across the border, sell them or even collect them. In some countries collecting of even the most common ones is not legal(Italy, Egypt)). As recently as 2016 British Columbia/Canada outlawed among other countries the taking of fossils across the provincial border or selling them. Even a Canadian from Ontario can not collect them. Often it is hard to get a permit even for a resident. Manitoba/Canada and Saskatchewan/Canada have that law in place for along time. However if fossils are not allowed to be collected, the public soon looses interest in them. Then they finally sit in the locked up drawers of the museums for the purpose of some scientists that nobody listens too. I see museums in Germany with great collections locking them recently away and nobody can see them anymore and knows about them. The Berlin Museum of Natural History had a great worldwide and also Germany specific collection. Until recently! Where is it now? Only some of the Jurassic Solnhofen is seen together with the Dinosaurs. All the other  Trilobites, Plants, Ice Age Mammals like Giant Sloths, Giant Moose and Giant Armadillo among  the whole hall disappeared from public view. My son can not see them anymore. I believe in the work of amateurs and scientists together. It is the knowledge of our world and it belongs to everybody. Enjoy the beauty of fossils and life and learn about it! The world belongs to all of us.

Filter