[no subject]

[Scott <HORTON@BCRSSU.AGR.CA>]

>1)  When a bone fossilizes, is there any organic material left?  What minerals
>replace what?

There is some organic material (real bone) left in some cases. This was only
discovered in the last year.
This is out of my field, but I don't think there is a one-to-one correspondance
of element replacement. That is, it depends on the conditions. If I understand
correctly, mineral replacement occurs when groundwater percolates through the
fossil material. Some of the original material is dissolved into the ground-
water, and some minerals in the groundwater precipitate into the spaces created.
Thus, presumably the replacement mineral would be whatever the groundwater is
saturated with.

>2)  What is the difference between a velociraptor and a deinonychus (sp?)?  It
>has been mentioned on this group that the 'velociraptors' in J.P. were really
>deininychi (-chusses?).  Why?

The "velociraptors" in JP were double the real size of fossil velociraptors. The
skulls are quite different. The skull of velociraptor is quite narrow, like a
crocodile's, where the skull of deinonychus is heavier, like a T.rex. If you can
find a good illustration of each, you'll see what I mean.

>I have a question too: I have heard many different things said about what
>Compsognathuses ate. I've read that they ate small animals and not anything
>else, and I've also read that they ate eggs from other dinosaurs' nests. What
>is true?

Nobody really knows. It's all speculation.

Scott Horton
Geophysicist/Computer Programmer