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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
In John McPhee's wonderful book "Annals of the Former World" he meets petroleum geologist Anita Harris, who pioneered the study of conodonts, very small shells which proved to be reliable indicators of petroleum deposits.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
I also found this: http://www.le.ac.uk/geology/map2/pander/index.html, which is mostly of interest because the head of the group is the Chief Panderer...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Wow!!! Those are such cool, very tiny fossils!!! Thanks, et'!
What does the 'cono' mean here, wwh?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear WW: I have no idea. The important thing that Anita Harris noted was that during the process of changing marine deposits containing methane into petroleum, the conodonts had a characteristic color change. So where you found changed conodonts, you might find petroleum. But again, there had to be a layer above that would keep both methane and petroleum from escaping. That I learned from McPhee's book. You might think geology a dry subject, but McPhee makes it fascinating reading. (Annals of the Former World)
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475 |
From the Greek ko:nos 'cone' both as in 'pine-cone' and 'other cone-shaped object'. They are indeed incredible, tiny things.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Thank you, jheem! Makes perfectly good sense--and they are well-named.
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