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Astro-Virology By Gemma Lavender, Astrobiology, Nov 28, 2013 https://www.astrobio.net/alien-life/astro-virology/ the paper is: Griffin, D.W., 2013. The quest for extraterrestrial life: what about the viruses?. Astrobiology, 13(8), pp.774-783. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2012.0959 https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70047754 A related paper is: Berliner, A.J., Mochizuki, T. and Stedman, K.M., 2018. Astrovirology: viruses at large in the universe. Astrobiology, 18(2), pp.207-223. Abstract: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2017.1649 PDF: https://drpaulroth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Astrovirology.pdf Yours, Paul H.

Ancient viruses found in Tibetan glacier https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkebx9/scientists-found-ancient-never-before-seen-viruses-in-a-glacier?utm_source=digg&utm_medium=email https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/ancient-viruses-found-tibetan-glacier https://www.livescience.com/unknown-viruses-discovered-tibetan-glacier.html Another article is: Giant Virus Resurrected from Permafrost After 30,000 Years By Tia Ghose March 03, 2014 https://www.livescience.com/43800-giant-virus-found-permafrost.html The unreviewed paper is: Zhi-Ping Zhong, Natalie E. Solonenko, Yueh-Fen Li, Maria C. Gazitúa, Simon Roux, Mary E. Davis, James L. Van Etten, Ellen Mosley-Thompson, Virginia I. Rich, Matthew B. Sullivan, Lonnie G. Thompson, ip, Glacier ice archives fifteen-thousand-year-old viruses doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.03.894675 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.03.894675v1.full Defrosting Ancient Microbes by Scott Rogers and John D. Castello https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50199089-defrosting-ancient-microbes Yours, Paul H.

Good evening folks. I just received an order of fossils from China and haven't opened it yet. Took it out of my mailbox with a rag (which I immediately threw away) and put the package in a large baggie. The fossils did not come from an infected location but I have no idea about the shipping trail / process. The only thing I know about viruses is to avoid people and things that might have been exposed. Am I being overly concerned?

Ok - this topic should stir up some conversation. As I was working on prepping a Green River fossil fish, I noticed some fibers were being removed next to the fish bones by my needle vise. I assume they were 50 million year old tissue still somewhat intact. So I got to thinking that what if it contained ancient pathogens that might have somehow survived since the fish expired. Looking up on the Internet I see that scientists have discovered 30 million year old viruses that have come back to life! The good news is that I appear to still be healthy! But... Is it possible that we fossil hunters could be exposed to something yet unknown and what could result? Just wondering. Has anyone else thought about this or have there been any studies along this line? Maybe me thinks too much!