HERE’S TO NATIONAL FOSSIL DAY!
What’s new on this day dedicated to things ancient? Quite a lot! We have not just a slew of new species, but also spectacular preservation such as:
- an extraordinary giant armored nodosaur from 110 million years ago
- prehistoric bird feathers, claws & suchlike preserved in amber
- this skin impression from a tyrannosaur:
Did you know that since 1990 or thereabouts, more new dinosaur species have been identified by their fossil remains than in all the previous years during which scientists had been studying dinosaurs?
Lastly, hats off to the National Park Service, purveyors of insights about fossils:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/index.htm
Here’s wishing you a happy National Fossil Day.
IT’S NATIONAL FOSSIL DAY
Quick quiz for those of you who’ve always been into fossils.
1. What is a fossil?
A) The bones of a dead creature
B) Stone in which minerals have replaced the remains of a dead creature
C) A footprint, claw mark, burrow or other record of what a dead creature once did
(Hint: More than one answer may be correct.)
2. At how many national parks in the United States have fossils been discovered?
A) Six
B) Fifty six
C) Over two hundred sixty
The National Park Service has an interesting website about fossils. Some terrific fossils have been discovered in our national parks. Apart from the fact that fossils are way cool, why does the government spend some (a very small portion) of our tax dollars on studying fossils? The website explains that, too. In brief, what’s gone before has much to tell us about life on Earth today.
So here’s wishing you a happy National Fossil Day.
Answers:
- A, B, & C
- C
ROSEMARY CLAIRE SMITH 