Stamets@lemmy.world to Comic Strips@lemmy.world · 6 months ago[DinosAndComics] The Futurelemmy.worldimagemessage-square18fedilinkarrow-up1694arrow-down17
arrow-up1687arrow-down1image[DinosAndComics] The Futurelemmy.worldStamets@lemmy.world to Comic Strips@lemmy.world · 6 months agomessage-square18fedilink
minus-squareprettybunnys@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up23arrow-down1·6 months ago… are they not fossils of the cyanobacteria
minus-squareIrateAnteater@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up21·6 months agoNot by the usual definition. The carbon, etc that used to form the cyanobacteria is completely broken down and formed into miscellaneous hydrocarbons. There’s no petrified remains, nor rock impressions of the bacteria.
minus-squareAnUnusualRelic@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·6 months agoBut aren’t their atoms perfectly preserved? (gasping at straws)
minus-squareIrateAnteater@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up1·6 months agoNot all of them. Some of the carbon atoms will have decayed into (I think) nitrogen.
minus-squareprettybunnys@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up7arrow-down1·6 months agoFWIW that was always my concept of fossil fuels to begin with. Like whatever you just said, but for dinosaurs and all the life from before.
minus-squarehypnicjerk@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·6 months agodinosaurs are a basically insignificant % of the biomass by my understanding
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… are they not fossils of the cyanobacteria
Not by the usual definition. The carbon, etc that used to form the cyanobacteria is completely broken down and formed into miscellaneous hydrocarbons. There’s no petrified remains, nor rock impressions of the bacteria.
But aren’t their atoms perfectly preserved? (gasping at straws)
Not all of them. Some of the carbon atoms will have decayed into (I think) nitrogen.
FWIW that was always my concept of fossil fuels to begin with.
Like whatever you just said, but for dinosaurs and all the life from before.
dinosaurs are a basically insignificant % of the biomass by my understanding