Ana Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 I was wondering how fossils were preserved and a really cool thread on this site explained using plastic (butvar and others) to do so. It got me wondering, what about before plastic? How did early paleontologists protect fossils? Any links to sources you have would be amazing so I can read more about it. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Early on with shellac, later with white glue. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 33 minutes ago, ynot said: Early on with shellac, later with white glue. Don't forget about beeswax which was used before white glue. 1 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 42 minutes ago, ynot said: Early on with shellac, later with white glue. That's really cool! Any suggestions on where I can read more about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 10 minutes ago, Harry Pristis said: Don't forget about beeswax which was used before white glue. The bacteria and such in beeswax didn't erode the fossils? Any suggestions on where I can read more about this process? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 7 minutes ago, Ana said: The bacteria and such in beeswax didn't erode the fossils? Any suggestions on where I can read more about this process? Google.com 1 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 10 minutes ago, Harry Pristis said: Google.com Haha, I did. But maybe I didn't use the best search terms. I'll keep digging. Thanks Another question, if you'll entertain this newbie: when a body of a large animal (such as a dinosaur or mammoth) decompose and fossilize, the connective tissue isn't fossilized. Does this mean that the bones in full skeletons are individual pieces when excavated from the ground? Or is there some form of structure that holds the bones together into their original arrangements/orientations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 6 minutes ago, Ana said: Does this mean that the bones in full skeletons are individual pieces when excavated from the ground? Or is there some form of structure that holds the bones together into their original arrangements/orientations? Fossils are usually held together by the matrix they are in, but can be individual pieces. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Welcome to The Fossil Forum! You might find a link to an article or two of interest regarding fossil preparation and excavation techniques (modern and historical) in THIS SECTION of my pdf library here on TFF. Links to articles about the actual processes involved in fossilization can be found in THIS SECTION. -Joe 3 Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 7 minutes ago, Fruitbat said: Welcome to The Fossil Forum! You might find a link to an article or two of interest regarding fossil preparation and excavation techniques (modern and historical) in THIS SECTION of my pdf library here on TFF. Links to articles about the actual processes involved in fossilization can be found in THIS SECTION. -Joe Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 If you really wanted to find some info from the long ago you may try a University Library and the published papers or Theses that were written when "plastic" was not used. Top Universities have a collection of papers that go way back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 On 1/7/2018 at 7:45 PM, Ana said: I was wondering how fossils were preserved and a really cool thread on this site explained using plastic (butvar and others) to do so. It got me wondering, what about before plastic? How did early paleontologists protect fossils? Any links to sources you have would be amazing so I can read more about it. Thanks! It was buried and became a rock formation. Jokes aside, agree with Tony and Harry. Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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