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
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).
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 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
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