Abstract
Scientists have long wondered how once-living plants and animals were turned into the fossil remains that we find in abundance on the earth today. What processes may have been involved in their formation, and how might time have figured into the fossilization process? No rock-solid recipe for animal fossil formation exists in the technical literature; however, a recipe for "fossilization" of wood products actually has been patented (Hicks, 1986; Snelling, 1995). The patent claims that the process of soaking wood in a heated, supersaturated solution of calcium, magnesium, and manganese, along with other metal salts and a weak acid (citric or malic), results in "fossilized" (or hardened) wood. The processed wood looks like normal wood, but it will not burn, even if soaked again in water and dried, and could have applications in the construction industry, among others. However, this recipe has not been employed with animal carcasses or reported in the technical literature as a successful one that can yield fossils. One thing is certain: most naturally occurring fossils seem to be associated with sediments that appear to have been deposited in connection with water and certain minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and silica.