Re: Preservational bias revisited

["Wes Copas" <wescopas@TENET.EDU>]

Swift Claw wrote:

> Would this also have prevented bones from fossilizing well?  If so,
> perhaps there are several lines of dinosaurs that will never be known
> due to the fact that their bones never fossilized.
>   Imagine how much we cannot know about dinosaurs...

Indeed.  Since I have a bit of experience from the perspective of a
field archaeologist (we all have our vices), I can add a bit about
preservation here.  I have participated in several excavations of human
remains, under different environmental conditions.  The best-preserved
skeletal remains come from mineral-rich, pH neutral or SLIGHTLY alkaline
soils.  Acidic soils such as those found in forests or bogs cause bone
to crumble in a matter of a couple hundred years (or MUCH faster...). 
Bog-like conditions allow for some wonderful preservation of organic
artifacts (leather, textiles, soft tissue, wood), but bone is usually
very friable if you can find it.  The famous European "Bog People" are a
good example.  Taphonomy is a fascinating study...

Wes Copas