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Researchers Discover Major Jurassic Fossil Site In Argentina (phys.org)
Paleontologists in Argentina have announced the discovery of a major Jurassic-era fossil site four years after it was first discovered. The site, which spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometers) in Patagonia, southern Argentina, came to light this week with the publication of a report in the journal Ameghiniana. "No other place in the world contains the same amount and diversity of Jurassic fossils," said geologist Juan Garcia Massini of the Regional Center for Scientific Research and Technology Transfer (CRILAR). The fossils are so well preserved, that researchers say each rock extracted from the site could possibly open the door to a new discovery.
"Fossils are mineral replacements of bones, either through mineralization or sediment filling in the void opened as the organic material decayed."
Sometimes. Sometimes not. Wood, leaves, enamel, bone, and especially Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Phosphate shell material can last an impressive amount of time unaltered. Proteins and DNA not so much. But even there the oldest known DNA used to be 15 million years or so from leaves preserved in clay in Idaho. I wouldn't be surprised that someone has found older material since.
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