Uncovering the Truth Behind the 'Golden' Fossils from the Jurassic

Scientists have discovered that phosphate minerals with yellow calcite, not pyrite, are responsible for the golden glow of fossils embedded in Germany's Posidonia Shale. The fossils, which include ammonites, bivalves, and crustaceans, were analyzed using a high-powered scanning electron microscope, revealing that the surrounding shale contained microscopic clusters of pyrite crystals, but the fossils themselves were phosphatized or yellow calcite. The research sheds light on the fossilization environment and the chemical reactions necessary for fossilization to occur.