Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 4 d ago, last 4 d ago, peak #6
Collagen-eating microbes may explain fossil record gaps
Original: Rise of collagen-eating microbes may help explain gaps in the fossil record https:// lemmy.zip/post/73454248
New research suggests microbes that feed on collagen could help explain why the fossil record has unexplained gaps. Collagen is the main structural protein in bones and soft tissues, so organisms capable of degrading it may have accelerated decay and left fewer remains to fossilize, reshaping how scientists interpret missing periods in the fossil record.
Why now: The findings offer a new scientific explanation for long-standing questions about missing fossils.
Evidence
- Rise of collagen-eating microbes may help explain gaps in the fossil record https:// lemmy.zip/post/73454248 · lavenie@lemmy.zip · 1
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