Thursday, April 26, 2012

Paleontologists ask, "What the )(^%?"

Strange fossil find from the Devonian

Is this some giant of giant algae? If not, what? Over 2m long, this fossil dug out by dedicated amateurs in Kentucky has the paleontological community buzzing.  It really doesn't look like anything we know about.  Discoverer Ron Fine compared it to a flattened saguaro cactus.  This one is going to take a while to classify.

COMMENT: This is worth mentioning all by itself, but the word that stands out for me is "amateur" (which means "love of," BTW).  Science still relies on people who do often-arduous work out of sheer dedication.  Fine job, Mr. Fine!

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