Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

phosphenes t1_j1hfik2 wrote

Yes! Other commenters are talking about shallow sea fossils. Shallow sea fossils are very common, probably the most common fossils out there. But fossils of deep sea animals are pretty rare.

This is for two reasons. First, the ocean floor is constantly getting subducted beneath the continents, destroying any fossils that it contains. This especially true for extreme deep sea trenches like the Mariana Trench, which are connected directly to subduction zones. Second, the pressure in the deep sea is not conducive to preserving mineral remains. Most fossils are made of calcite or apatite, and both degrade under pressure.

However, we have found some deep sea animal fossils! Like these sea stars found in the alps, or this ichthyosaur that probably filled a similar niche as sperm whales.

15