• Evil_Shrubbery@lemmy.zipEnglish
    1·
    1 day ago

    How did the tail (and even claws) stay up?

    Someone did some repositioning/soldering on this fella to give them a cool death pose. Respect.

    • Rob T Firefly@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      19 hours ago

      This is a scorpion replaced by copper, found in a copper mine. A scorpion likely got buried in some mud or sediment, and over the years became fossilized in copper as copper-rich mineral deposits replaced the original organic material. So, this is copper coalesced in the shape of the scorpion in that pose, and it stays posed that way forever.

      It’s like when you see dinosaur fossils; you aren’t seeing the original bones, you’re seeing everlasting minerals which deposited in the exact shapes of the buried bones over time, replacing the buried organic bone matter as it decayed away. As this buried scorpion decayed away, copper filled in the gaps where it used to be.

      • Evil_Shrubbery@lemmy.zipEnglish
        2·
        11 hours ago

        I know all that, my question was about this bit you glanced over:

        scorpion in that pose

        What dead scorpion is in the position of a live one mid moving?

        Once the poor thing was dead (but prior to coppering), what kept the tail up? And legs out?

        The odds of it naturally (by that I mean without human involvement) being in that shape are really slim.

        Basically all the dinosaur fossilised materials we have are of them laying down in various twisted shapes.
        Its not like the fancy displays in museums with the “bones” aligned as if the animal was alive. That doesn’t reflect how they were found, even if by chance they were all together & undisturbed.

        If a human gets buried by dirt (or just left outside) it’s not gonna be preserved in a dancing pose.

        I’m gonna assume someone copper-plated a dead scorpion.

        Edit: a quick search for copper scorpio also makes me think it’s bs.
        This article for example: geologyin.com/2023/07/the-mystery-of-copper-scorpion.
        Also most comments on this Reddit post are saying the same, tho that ain’t much.