FOSSILS ANO PALEONTOLOGY

The lossilization process 01 carbonization has led to the preservation ollossil

plants. Deposits 01 coal hold abundant remains 01 the plants that [ormed the
lorests 01 the Carbonijerous periodo Carbonized lossil planis, however, can
come from other geological periods. From top to bottom: Archaeopodocarpus
from the Permian in Germany; a branch 01 pteridospermale, twigs 01Mar-
iopieris, and twigs 01 Woodwardites from the Carbonijerous in Germany.

imprint on this mineral layer. Travertine, a rock used by the

ancient Romans for decorative purposes, is famous for its plant
remains preserved in this way.
Another rarer process of fossilization is distillation. In this
process, the more volatile elements of an organism (liquids and
gases) are distilled, leaving a thin film of carbon on a rock as
the only testimony of the original form of the organismo Fos-
sils formed through this process are usually imperfect, so much
so that graptolites, a primitive marine organism most fre-
quently preserved this way, were not fu11yunderstood until
examples, which had turned into pyrite through the additional
process of mineralization, were discovered.
As a result of special conditions or truly unusual factors,
certain organisms have been preserved in a most unusual way,
with not only the usuaIly preserved, hard parts, but also traces
of the soft parts-those that in most cases disappear without
leaving even the slightest trace.
One deposit in which conditions were so favorable as to
perrnit the preservation of delicate structures is the famous one
at Solnhofen in Bavaria. The skeleton of the earliest bird, Ar-
chaeopteryx, was discovered there and was recognized as a
bird because its exceptional preservation included its feathers.
In the same deposit were found impressions of the wing mem-
brane of flying reptiles, tentacles of je11yfish, insects complete
with thin and delicate wing membranes, and squid-like belem-
nites complete with their tentacles.
This extensive preservation was made possible at Solnhofen
both by very fine sediment that quickly covered the dead or-
ganisms, protecting them from the effects of destructive agents,
and the absence or scarcity of such destructive agents thern-
selves. There was no strong mechanical alteration at Solnho-
fen, largely beca use there were no strong currents: The area
was a closed basin, very tranquil, with stagnant water that did
not circula te much, and was probably poorly suited for life.
Similar deposits ha ve been found in the Burgess Shale for-
mation in British Columbia, believed to be from the Cambrian
period, and that of Holzmaden, in Germany, from the Juras-
sic, both of which contain truly exceptional remains-delicate
organisms perfectly preserved due most of a11to the absence
of destructive agents, both biological and mechanical, in their
ancient environments. Holzmaden had a marine environment
with water that was almost stagnant, a kind of lagoon, lacking
oxygen and thus not favorable to bacterial life, an area of sea
closed off and free of waves and currents.
Additional examples of the preservation of particularly deli-
cate organisms can be found in amber deposits. As amber, a
resin exuded by coniferous trees, moved along the trunks it
covered insects and arachnids that lived in prehistoric forests,
thus protecting them from the action of external agents and
preserving them intacto The most famous amber deposits are
those from the Oligocene epoch, found in the Baltic región
and Rumania, and those from the Miocene found in Santo
Domingo, Sicily, and the Apennines in Italy.
The last process of fossilization, natural mummification, is
quite rare and only a few examples are known. This process
involves complete preservation, even of the most delicate parts

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