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Paleontological Research on Fossilized Bone’s ...

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Title Information
Paleontological Research on Fossilized Bone’s Ability to Stick to a Person’s Tongue

Name:Personal
Wolff, Shana Marie Role :Text(marcrelator)
creator

Name:Personal
Cassells, Steve Role :Text(marcrelator)
contributor

Name:Personal
Riegel, Trina Role :Text(marcrelator)
contributor

typeOfResource
still image genre
Origin Information Place
Laramie, Wyoming
University of Wyoming (keyDate="yes")
2009-05-18

Language:Text
eng

Physical Description

born digtal

abstract
It is well known among archaeologists and paleontologists that fossilized bone has the ability to stick to a person’s tongue if one licks the bone. Fresh bone, weathered bone, rocks, and minerals do not stick to the tongue. My hypothesis was that fossilized bone, because it is at least 10,000 years old and up to 145 million years old, would have all the organic material removed and replaced with minerals, but the Haversian and Volkman canals would still be present to drain the saliva away and adhere the tongue to the bone. Research was performed on fresh weathered bone, fossilized bone, rocks and minerals, and petrified wood that were unsealed and sealed with various commercial products. Saliva stained with methylene blue was applied to the bone and examined microscopically to see how far it penetrated into the canals or into the bone matrix. Results of microscopic examination indicated that the stained saliva penetrated equally in all unsealed bone and petrified wood. Thus, the stickiness of fossilized bone to the tongue is not due solely to the presence of canals within the bone but may be an interaction of the glycoproteins in saliva, traces of organic compounds such as collagen and elastin in even fossilized bone, and the high mineral content of the fossilized bone. note
From - Undergraduate Research Day 2009 - Celebration of Research - Abstracts
Subject
fossilized bone

Subject
tongue adhesion test

Related Item:series Title Information
Undergrauate Research Day 2009

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http://digital.uwyo.edu/copyright.htm
Record Information languageOfCataloging :Text(ISO639-2B)
English :Code(ISO639-2B)
eng