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Expert: - 12/7/2008


Question
What scientific evidence is there that raptor dinosaurs had hollow bones, other than the assumption that they are related to birds?
I mean, arent fossilized bones just minerals that were absorbed into the bone and took their shape once the bone tissue decayed away. How could you tell which fossil remains were hollow and which weren't if all that is left is hard minerals?

Answer
Dear A.J.

Fossilization is a slow process, and it involves the replacement of tissue with minerals over a very long time.  This means that in some cases, very fine detail of internal structures is preserved, as the minerals very gradually coat and replace animal material, literally molecule by molecule.

Some bones unearthed and studies have revealed such detail that it is clear that the bones were hollow, and quite a bit of the anatomy of the skeleton is still observable, even though they are extremely ancient.

Hope this helps.

Dana

Biology

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Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

Expertise

I can answer biology-related questions in the areas of evolution, zoology, botany, genetics, and ecology. But I don't answer homework questions or provide ideas for your science fair projects. So students please do your learning the right way by reading your text assignments and studying!

Experience

At the University of Miami, I teach Evolution and Biodiversity, Botany, Zoology, Genetics, Ecology, and a variety of seminars (e.g., the Biology and Evolution of Human Gender Roles).

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I have a B.S. in Biology and an A.B. in English from the University of Southern California (1980). I earned my Ph.D. in Biology in the area of evolutionary biology/visual physiology from the University of Miami in 1989.

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I am currently an "expert" in both the "Rabbits" and "Wild Animals" categories.

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