SEDONA, Ariz. - April 9, 2020 - PermianMuseum.com finished its Spring fossil egg hunt and released photos of its 2020 Fossilized Egg Collection.
The Permian period was from 300 - 252 Mya. The end Permian extinction event was the most severe known on earth and the re-speciation that followed introduced a new set of life forms that gave rise to the age of the dinosaurs and winged flight. The fossilized eggs are from this transition period.
"On earth, new viruses are created by genetic reassortment of existing viruses in co-infected cells. Similarly, new life forms can be created by DNA reassortment of existing life forms, but by an unexpected host," according to Mark Zamoyski, the Curator of the free on-line museum.
"The Northern Arizona Permian coastal ocean floor was covered with hard skeleton labyrinth structures built by colonies of single celled organisms called Calcium Secreting Filter Feeders (CSFFs). A cubic inch of coastal water contains 15 million suspended cells, from a variety of life forms. CSFF structures channel this water, shearing open cell membranes, releasing DNA, proteins, and other intracellular contents to the feeding colony below."
"In 2014, we published sectioned CSFF specimens that revealed an unintended consequence was their ability to host a "grab bag" DNA reassortment process. This process would result in creation of unimaginably biodiverse new life forms, such as those that spawned the dinosaurs and winged flight."
Expected output from the grab bag DNA reassortment process would include life forms that appear to be quantum leaps backward in evolution, quantum leaps forward, unknown life forms, and forerunners of dinosaurs and birds. The Permian Museum now has fossils in all of these categories, including fossilized forerunners of the Pterosaur, Plesiosaur, and Terrestrial Tetrapod lineages.
"Sectioning the eggs reveals some of the novel life forms contained inside. Additionally, eggs are often accompanied by forerunners of birds above with the eggs and egg eating "graboid" type worms below the eggs, as shown in the accompanying photo. The fossils in the Permian Museum's collection provide the empirical data that the reassortment process actually occurred," according to Mr. Zamoyski.
The complete collection of fossilized life forms posted to date may be viewed for free from the safety and comfort of your home at https://www.permianmuseum.com
