Underwater caves preserve biochemical composition and histological structure in modern and fossil mammalian bones
Meg M. Walker, Justyna Jolanta Miszkiewicz, Joshua M. Rowe, Carney Matheson, Jitraporn Pimm Vongsvivut, Natalie A. Sims, Julien Louys
This study examines bone degradation in underwater and dry cave environments using histology and FTIRM, finding that wet bones retain more collagen while fossils show no detectable signal.
bioRxiv · Jul 20, 2026 · PreprintPaleontology