Golden Fossils Unveil Fossilization Process from 183 Million Years Ago

Researchers have discovered that the golden shine on 183 million-year-old fossils found in the Posidonia Shale in southwest Germany is not due to pyrite, but rather the fossils are mostly made up of phosphate minerals. The fossils, particularly those of soft-bodied sea life, were preserved in anoxic conditions, but an influx of oxygen was needed to encourage the chemical processes needed for this kind of fossilization. The study sheds light on the environment in which these fossils were formed and is published in Earth Science Reviews.