Jason's DINOSAUR BONE Bracelet!
These beads are from dinosaurs that roamed the earth over 66 - 200 million years ago! It blows my mind to think about wearing something that old.... Get some for your collection here, or make a bracelet for someone that would be just as fascinated by the Earth's longevity in universe!
Fossilized dinosaur bone beads are fascinating, as the appearance and dimensions of the mineral remain constant, but over millions of years the natural bone material was replaced by a material to become chalcedony, quartz, agate, or "gembone" in a process called permineralization!
Specimens can be traced back to dinosaurs that roamed the earth during the late Jurassic Age around 150 million years ago.
The different colors and very unique patterns are caused by minerals such as chlorite, chromium, iron-oxide and manganese that enter the cells during formation.
And for fun, google "coprolite" to find out more about dino poop!
I looked at the U.S. Geological Survey website, (USGS created by an act of Congress in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey has evolved over the decades, matching its talent and knowledge to the progress of science and technology. USGS is the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior) - go there for more info! They had a wonderful explanation to give us a perspective on how long ago Dinosaurs existed, as well as a measure of their existence vs human beings as we know them. Read more here to learn MORE about dinosaurs!!
From the USGS site:
When did dinosaurs become extinct?
Dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago (at the end of the Cretaceous Period), after living on Earth for about 165 million years. If all of Earth time from the very beginning of the dinosaurs to today were compressed into 365 days (one calendar year), the dinosaurs appeared January 1 and became extinct the third week of September. (Using this same time scale, the Earth would have formed approximately 18.5 years earlier.) Using the same scale, people (Homo sapiens) have been on earth only since December 31 (New Year's eve). The dinosaurs' long period of dominance certainly makes them unqualified successes in the history of life on Earth.
When we were bead shopping in Tucson years ago,we caught up with Steve, who gave us the lowdown on some super awesome dinosaur bone beads! Not only did he do a great job of reading off google, LOL!, but he's intense about collecting and selling great handmade beads, charms and more! |