A photograph shows a boulder containing remarkably well-preserved, larger-than-human seahorse fossil.
A photograph shows a boulder containing remarkably well-preserved, larger-than-human seahorse fossil.
On 22 August 2017, the Facebook page â€œGeology Wondersâ€ posted an imageÂ that appears to show a massive seahorse fossil exposed on a boulder with the caption â€œgiant fossil of a seahorse.â€ While breathtaking, the picture is fake and its premise is scientifically implausible. The image won first placeÂ in a Photoshop contest called â€œThe Eighth Wonder of the Worldâ€ hosted by the web site pxleyes.com. The artist, whose user name is loopyluv, explained the stepsÂ used to create the image:Â The notion that such a large, well-preserved seahorse fossil would be found anywhere on Earth is unlikely. In fact, seahorse fossils are remarkably rare, and have so far been found only in two locations: the Tunjice Hills in Slovenia, and in a single fossil bed in Northeastern Italy. Both of these fossil beds preserve seahorses that are similar in size and shape to the seahorses alive today, which range from .6 to 14 inches long. Scientists estimate that the largest seahorse fossil from Slovenia, if it had preserved the complete body, would have about 9 centimeters long â€” far smaller than human-sized seahorse allegedly preserved in the boulder. As such, we rank this claim as false.
"fossil" AND "seahorse"