Happy #FossilFriday, check out this Allosaurus fossil with amethyst growing at its center! It's likely water rich with silica and a touch of iron leeched into the bone during the fossilization process, allowing the growth of crystals over time. (1/2)
#paleontology#geology#dinosaur
This fossil is housed at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. I posted this fella last year, but it's such a neat fossil that it deserves a repost! (2/2)
This reminds me of a funky fossil I've been wanting to ask a Fossil Scientist (TM) about...Carnegie Museum's 72656, a bone tumor in a sauropod that turned into agate...how/why it do that?!
Hm, that's tough to say! I'm not exactly a paleontologist, but let me take an educated guess! I would say that the tumor must have left an open, porous cavity in the bone, and during the fossilization process, water may have seeped into that cavity, just like with this Allosaurus fossil. (1/2)
If the right combination of minerals got into that cavity and the right conditions occured, that could lead to the formation of agate. I can't say WHY it turned into agate, and not another mineral. I think this article from Penn State explains agate formation well! www.psu.edu/news/researc... (2/2)
I just realized now that I never attached the photo of the fossil! Not sure if seeing it would change your answer at all but figure I should share the cool rock
