Can Lichen Light the Way to Dinosaur Finds?

Can Lichen Light the Way to Dinosaur Finds?

For decades, dinosaur seekers have anecdotally noted the presence of distinctive orange growth on fossil bones. It turns out that vibrant orange lichens—crusty little colonies that can comprise algae or cyanobacteria locked in symbiosis with fungus—do indeed have a preference for growing on exposed dinosaur bones. And researchers working in western North America are suggesting that the colorful growths could serve as homing beacons leading paleo…