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Re: [dinosaur] Hypothetical dinosauroid civilisation



It makes an interesting science-fiction scenario. What I used as evidence in "Extinction Theory" (Analog Science Fiction, March 1989) was a gold ring on a fossilized finger bone. 

Extinction by nuclear war could leave traces in some ways similar to the iridium layer after the end-Cretaceous impact. A marker of some sort would be helpful in searching the geologic record.

How long a civilization lasted and the rate at which it generated long lived and recognizable artifacts also are important factors. A civilization that burns through natural resources at our present rate would not be likely to be leaving readily recognizable monuments over the whole planet for tens of thousands of years. 

-- Jeff Hecht

On Dec 30, 2019, at 5:13 PM, Alaric Shapli <alaric.sh@gmail.com> wrote:

I would imagine that a truly advanced civilization would have likely had an impact on earlier parts of the fossil record, as well- they would have likely done paleontology of their own, shifting earlier remains upwards, and would likely have used up a certain amount of fossil fuel reserves. Not sure to what extent any of that would have happened.

On 12/30/2019 4:59 PM, Thomas Richard Holtz wrote:
Greetings,

Exactly the same as we have preserved for Paleolithic humans: stone and bone tools and artifacts, modified shells and beads, fire pits, etc. (The chances of finding petroglyphs and cave paintings would be slim, since we would need to find actual rock surfaces from that time period which were subsequently buried.)

A more advanced dinosauroid culture--an actual civilization [that is, a culture that builds cities]--would have a greater chance of preservation, as the artifacts they make become larger and more preservable. (For example, buildings, roads, metal tools, trash middens, etc.) And even more technologically advanced civilizations might leave behind the remains of plastics, massive erosional surfaces (i.e., mines and development), landfills, and an isotopic signature related to industrial waste products (including greenhouse gases).

On Mon, Dec 30, 2019 at 4:52 PM Poekilopleuron <dinosaurtom2015@seznam.cz> wrote:
Good day to all listmembers, I have an unusual question regarding hypothetical civilisation of highly intelligent dinosaurs, or "dinosauroids". Would it be possible for us to find some traces of late Cretaceous civilisation similar to - say - human societies of late Pleistocene (late stone age)? What would be its most remarkable traits (markers) in the fossil record? Thank you for your thoughts!


--
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu         Phone: 301-405-4084
Principal Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Office: Geology 4106, 8000 Regents Dr., College Park MD 20742
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Phone: 301-405-6965
Fax: 301-314-9661              

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
Office: Centreville 1216, 4243 Valley Dr., College Park MD 20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        8000 Regents Drive
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742-4211 USA