An updated evaluation on a “Carboniferous human calvarium fossil”

An updated evaluation on a “Carboniferous human calvarium fossil”

Last update: June 1, 2008 (seventh edition)

Summary
The author has examined through microscopes more than 30 thin sections cut from “rocks” that Mr. Ed Conrad discovered and sent to the author. Without exception, they are all found to be fossils, including the subject “calvarium fossil”. The object is a Carboniferous human calvarium fossil for the following reasons:
(1) its computed-tomography images bear close resemlance to those of a calvarium; (2) it contains fossilized osteocytes, Haversian canals, osteons, red blood cells and various blood vessels in the specimens and thin sections ; (3) it contains remains of neurons and neuroglial cells that exist only in the central nervous system; (4) No other animal has an organ or body part that matches its inner/outer shape and size; (5) Its inner cavity has a capacity of at least 1,025 cc.; (6) It was found between coal veins near Mahanoy, Pennsylvania, where geological structure has been dated to be around 300 million years old. Some of the fossil’s blood vessels have turned into coal, suggesting it once existed in a coal region. In addition to the subject fossil, there are at least two other pieces of evidence for human existence in the Carboniferous age.

Introduction

A “calvarium fossil” (Fig. 1, Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4), discovered between anthracite veins (Fig. 2-6, Fig. 2-7, Fig. 2-8, Fig. 2-9) and owned by Mr. Ed Conrad of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., has been considered for over 25 years to be just a rock, while its owner keeps maintaining that it is a Carboniferous human calvarium fossil. This article attempts to evaluate the object by answering the following questions in this article’s Discussion section:
1. Is it a fossil?
2. Is it a calvarium fossil?
3. Is it a human calvarium fossil?
4 Is it a Carboniferous human calvarium fossil?
5. Are there other evidences for human existence in the Carboniferous age?
6.Was there high-technology civilization in the Carboniferous age?
7. Further discussion/Attempts to disprove myself
7-1 Couldn’t it be a rock?
7-2 Couldn’t it be something other than a calvarium fossil?
7-3 Couldn’t it be a non-human calvarium fossil?
7-4 Couldn’t it be later than the Carboniferous age?

A calvarium is a skull without the lower jaw/the facial parts, whereas a cranium refers to skull bones that enclose the brain (Ref. 1). A calvarium could contain degraded brain remains.

Material and methods

Material A-1:
On the author’s request, the owner of the “fossil” cut a small specimen from the object, took pictures of the spot where the specimen was cut
(Fig. 2-2), and sent the specimen to the author by post.
The specimen arrived in the following conditions:
1. A chunk of “fossil” about 1.5 cm long, 1 cm wide, and 0.5 cm thick.
2. Three small fragments that crumbled out of the above chunk when the author took up the chunk to look at it for the first time. The three fragments measure about 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm x 0.2 cm each.
3. Dozens of small grains, each measuring less than 0.2 cm in any dimension.
Above three kinds of specimens were taken to the geology department of National Taiwan University. They were made into three thin sections (Thin Section 1, 2 and 3 respectively) in the following methods, which involved no artificial staining of colors:
1. Thin section 1 (Fig. 4): Specimen 1 was cut for transverse and longitudinal sections, which were then ground and mounted onto a glass slide, namely thin section 1. One third of Specimen 1 was left from
the process of making the thin section (Fig. 5, Specimen 1 remnant).
2. Thin section 2 (Fig. 6): Fragments of Specimen 2 were cut, ground and mounted onto a glass slide.
3. Thin section 3 (Fig. 7) : Small grains of Specimen 3 were placed in a mold, glued firmly together, ground to a thickness of about 0.03 mm, and then mounted onto a glass slide, namely thin section 3. This thin section was not covered with glass, but was coated with a thin layer of wax on its top side.

Specimens 1, 2, 3, and thin sections 1, 2, 3 were viewed through a stereo-microscope, a digital microscope (ref. 11), and a transmitted-light microscope. The remnant from specimen 1 and thin section 3 were also viewed with a scanning electron mircoscope (Hitachi model S-3400N). Besides the digital microscope, a camera (Canon model EOS 350D) was used to capture images from the stereo-microscope and the transmitted-light microscope.

Material A-2:
On March 17, 2008, Mr. Ed Conrad cut another specimen from the object (Fig. 2-10) and sent it to the author (Fig. 2-11, Fig. 2-12). This specimen measured roughly 5.5 cm X 4 cm X 3 cm. This specimen’s original location on the “calvarium fossil” is visible in Video 1. This specimen, named SK2 (Fig. 2) by Mr. Conrad, was taken to the geology department of National Taiwan University, where it was cut in three different directions. Three thin sections were then obtained and named here as SK2-1, SK2-2, SK2-3 (Fig. 3). The specimen and its three thin sections were viewed with various microscopes, such as stereomicroscope, transmitted-light microscope, digital microscope, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Their images were captured with the digital microscope, SEM, and Canon camera Model EOS 350D. The scanning electron microscope also analysed the chemical composition of a tiny spot on Specimen SK2 (Fig. 8, EDS report).

Material B: the “calvarium fossil”

On March 28, 2008, the author had the “calvarium fossil” scanned by the Computed Tomography system of Alberta Research Council in Canada. The resulting computed-tomography videos are listed in Result A.

The author had also asked the owner of the “fossil” to measure the object (Fig. 2-3) and got the following data:
Outer dimensions of the object: 22.8 cm (maximum length) by 17.8 cm (maximum width) by 13.3 cm (maximum height)

The owner advised the author that on the top side of the object, there seems to be a 6-mm-thick coating of foreign substance. To be on the safe side, the author subtracts twice that thickness—6mm x 2—from the above outer length , outer width, and subtracts 6 mm from its exterior maximum height. Hence, the following figures are obtained and used for calculating its cranial capacity:
Outer dimensions: 21.6 cm (Length) by 16.6 cm (Width) by 12.7 cm (Height)
Inner cavity dimensions: 15.9 cm (maximum length) by 10.8 cm (maximum width) by 11.4 cm (maximum depth/height), as measured by its owner.

Based on the above data, the author calculated the cranial capacity of the object as follows:
1. By Lee Pearson Formula, given by Williams et al (1995) and Manjunath (2002b) (ref. 2):
For males: 0.000337 x (L-11) x (W-11) x (H-11) + 406.01
This formula uses outer dimensions, and those dimensions are expressed in millimeters in this formula. So, the following calculation is done:
0.000337 x (216-11) x (166-11) x (127-11) + 406.01=1,648 cc

For females:
0.0004 x (L-11) x (W-11) x (H-11) + 206.60
Hence, the following calculation is done:
0.0004 x (216-11) x (166-11) x (127-11) + 206.60 =1,681 cc

Mean cranial capacity: (1648+1681) divided by 2 makes 1,665 cc.

As the gender of the “cranium” is unknown, only the mean figure is considered here for convenience.

2. By Spheroid Formula, given by Manjunath (2002b, ref. 3)
0.5238 x length x width x height(depth)= cranial capacity
Above length, width, and depth are measurements of the cranial cavity and expressed in centimeter.

Hence the calculation 0.5238x15.9x10.8x11.4=1,025 cc.


Results
A. Animated Computed Tomography images in all three planes (horizontal, coronal, and sagittal planes) of the whole object are contained mainly in the following videos: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3,
Video 4.
B. The EDS report (Fig. 8, Energy Disperse Spectrum report), done by the scanning electronic microscope, reveals that the scanned nerve cell consists of Carbon (60.07%, by atom count), Oxygen (38.05%, by atom count) and Si (1.59% by atom count).
C. SEM images of Specimen 1 remnant and thin section 3 reveal numerous remains of bone cells (osteocytes, Fig. 1-0), blood vessels, and red blood cells ( Fig. 9-1, Fig. 9-2, Fig. 9-3, Fig. 9-4, Fig. 9-5, Fig. 9-6, Fig. 9-7, Fig. 9-8).

D. Various images of the object also show (1) branching blood vessel remains (Fig. 1-0-0), Haversian canals and osteons (Fig. 1-1, Fig. 1-2, Fig. 1-3, Fig. 1-4, Fig. 1-5); (2) degraded remains of neurons, neuroglial cells and nerve fibers (Fig. 10-1, Fig. 10-2, Fig. 10-3, Fig. 10-4, Fig. 10-5, Fig. 10-6, Fig. 10-7, Fig. 10-8, Fig. 10-9); (3) blood vessel’s transverse section remains (Fig. 11-1, Fig. 11-2, Fig. 11-3, Fig. 11-4, Fig. 11-5); (4) various fossilized tissues (Fig. 12-1 to Fig. 12-6).
E. Specimen 1 is found to have at least three black areas. One such black area shows brilliant black vitreous luster under naked eyes and microscopes (Fig. 5). SEM and light microscopies reveal that the shiny black area contains carbonized blood vessels and erythrocytes (figures 9-4 to 9-8).
F. The estimated cranial capacity of the “calvarium” ranges from 1,025 cc to 1,665 cc as calculated in the preceding paragraph.

Discussion:
1. Is it a fossil?
Yes. Its computed-tomography images (Video 4) don’t look like any rock. No rocks or plants contain all at the same time the remains of neurons, neuroglial cells, bone cells, red blood cells, Haversian canals, osteons and blood vessels mentioned in Results C and D. They are found in randomly-chosen, freshly-cut thin sections, not from re-worked/contaminated tissues. Their colors are not artificially stained.
2. Is it a calvarium fossil?
Yes. Its computed-tomography images bear close resemblance to those of a calvarium on the organ level (Video 4). On the cell level, it contains remains of osteocytes, neurons, and glial cells as listed in Results C and D. Those remains point to a calvarium fossil that once contained brain tissue. No other animal organs or body parts have inner/outer sizes and shapes similar to this fossil’s shapes and sizes (Fig. 1).
3. Is it a human calvarium fossil?
Yes. Its cranial capacity of at least 1,025 cc is surpassed only by cetaceans, walrus, elephants, and/or dinosaurs (ref. 4). However, those four kinds of animal have no crania/organs that match the subject fossil in cranial shape and size. As each order of animal has a different shaped skull (ref. 5), the subject calvarium fossil can be identified as a human calvarium fossil by forensic experts on human skulls. One such expert is Mr. Wilton Krogman. He has physically examined the calvarium fossil. His broad smile in the photo (Fig. 1) says that he confirmed it was a human calvarium fossil.

The calvarium fossil matches humans’ cranial size, cranial capacity and cranial shape in the following ways:

3-1 Cranial size (outer dimensions):
Neanderthal: 24.1cm (length) x 14.6 cm (width) x 17.8 cm (height) (ref. 6)
Subject fossil: 21.6 cm (length) x 16.6 cm (width) x 12.7 cm (height)
3-2 Cranial capacity:
Neanderthal: 1,750 cc (ref. 7)
Modern Human: 1,350-1,400 cc (ref. 8)
Java man: 940 cc (Homo Erectus, Trinil 2, Pithecanthropus I, ref. 9)
Subject fossil: at least 1,025 cc (by Spheroid Formula)
By the Lee Pearson Formula, the subject fossil has a
cranial capacity of 1,665 cc. The vast difference
between 1,665 cc and 1,025 cc may be due to the
following factors:
A. The Lee Pearson Formula uses the skull cap’s outer dimensions, while the Spheroid Formula uses its inner dimensions. In this case, the calvarium’s inner width is only 60% of its outer width, because the fossil retains brain remains in its inner cavity (See the bottom view of the fossil in Fig. 1). As a result, the Lee Pearson Formula produces the result of 1,665 c.c. while the Spheroid Formula produces the result of only 1,025 c.c;

B. The calvarium was broken in the facial part;


3-3 Cranial shape:
Human: well-rounded cranium (ref. 10)
Java man: flat, very thick cranium (Homo Erectus, Trinil 2, Pithecanthropus I) (Fig. 2-1 & ref. 9)

Subject fossil: More rounded than the above Java man (Fig. 1 vs. Fig. 2-1)

The above analysis shows the subject fossil matches human skull caps
in cranial size, cranial capacity, and cranial shape.

4. Is it a Carboniferous human calvarium fossil?

My judgment says yes. For over 27 years, its owner has attested many times that all his fossils were found between coal veins near Shenandoah/ Mahanoy, Pennsylvania (Fig. 2-6, Fig. 2-7, Fig. 2-8,
Fig. 2-9). That is in the anthracite region, the only one in the U.S. proper. It’s in a most-studied geological area of the Carboniferous age. That is to say animal fossils found there should have lived there in the Carboniferous age. The owner’s attestation is mirrored in Specimen 1 remnant. Under naked eyes and transmitted-light microscopes, the specimen looks black and shiny in some areas (Fig. 5). Under SEM and a digital microscope (ref. 11), the shiny black area of Specimen 1 revealed its blood vessels that have carbonized into coal (Fig. 9-5). The shiny black color is a sign of vitrain—a thin, bright, horizontal band in bituminous coal that usually breaks with a conchoidal fracture. The fossil’s black and shiny look suggests its origin in a coal region.

Its owner has two other fossils that are also coalified. One such fossil is a coalified adze handle (Fig. 14). Another is a fossilized small toe complete with skin tissue, finger nail, tendon,ligaments, and the middle phalanx (Fig. 15-1, Fig. 15-2, Fig. 15-3, Video 15-4, Fig. 15-5). The mummified toe fossil shows signs of carbonization on the toe tip’s bottom side (Fig. 16). Before Mr. Conrad found the subject calvarium fossil, he had discovered many “fossils” at the same place. Why would he discover the subject fossil anywhere else when many more of such “fossils”, are still exposed out there, outcropping from the big boulders in the region (Fig. 17-1, Fig. 17-2) ? Such outcropping fossils include another mummified skull fossil (Fig. 2-13).
Mr. Conrad’s fossils include unimaginable fossilized organs such as human liver, human finger, human long bone, mammalian limbs, etc. (Fig. 18-1, Fig. 15-1, Fig. 18-2, Fig. 18-3, Fig. 18-4, Fig. 18-5). This fossil brings up many questions to current theories about human origins. If we avoid them, we are only fooling ourselves. If we face them, they will bring us new horizons for human civilization.

5. Are there other evidences for human existence in the Carboniferous age?
Certainly. They are all shown in my albums ( here ).
Two other pieces of evidence for human existence in the Carboniferous age include: (1) A human cerebral hemisphere fossil (Video 5, Video 6) and (2) A human toe fossil (Fig. 15-1, Video 7, Video 8).
6. Was there high-tech civilization in the Carboniferous age?
Modern humans took no more than 8,000 years to develop from low-tech society to high-tech society. I have written about similar subjects in google’s ++talk. origins newsgroup.

7. Further Discussion/Attempts to disprove myself

7-1
Couldn’t it be a rock?
Its CT images (Video 9, Video 10) don’t resemble any rock.
Besides my pictures, there are pictures by Mr. Andrew MacRae, Mr. PZ Myer and Mr. Ed Conrad on the internet. Their pictures “also” show Haversian canals and osteons, which are distinguishing features of fossil bone micro-structures (Fig. 20-4, Fig. 20-5, Fig. 20-6).

Few rocks have a shape and size that fully matches human skull interior and exterior. To put it simply, there has never been a rock that resembles a human skull cap from the organ level ( showing cranial cavity), through the tissue level ( showing Haversian canals, osteons, branching blood vessels), down to the cell level (showing remains of bone cells, red blood cells, neuroglial cells and neurons). More than twenty of Mr. Conrad’s “rocks” (see here) contain remains of red blood cells. Making no exception, the subject fossil contains all the above-mentioned features in natural condition/position. Most of them are found where they should be. I have cut more than 30 thin sections from the “rocks” and taken more than one thousand microscopic pictures of the twenty fossils the owner has sent me. Most of the jagged minerals found in the fossils are found trapped in degraded organic tissues such as blood vessels. These degraded blood vessels could not have gone into rocks/minerals, begun the fossilization process there and still remained jointed in natural posture. The minerals were not found in a continuous formation, but the organic tissues/organs were found in a continuous formation, retaining their original outer shapes (of small toe, calvarium, handle, liver, etc.) and cell structures. Plant fossils are characterized by regular radial wood structures (year rings, rays, tracheids, etc.) in their transverse sections. Animal fossils are very complex in transverse section. The subject fossil shows complexity and its cell remains are too large to be fungi or bacteria. There is simply not a rock that contains numerous look-alikes of neurons, neuroglial cells, osteocytes, osteons, Haversian canals, red blood cells, blood vessels, and match the human skull caps in size and shape, all at the same time.


7-2
Couldn’t it be something other than a calvarium fossil?

Large calvarium is a very different organ from all other animal organs. Video 4 contains images resembling a calvarium’s temporal line and cranial sutures.
The subject fossil has a deep, wide inner cavity that roughly matches the fossil’s outer shape and size. Its large size and distinct shape cannot be found in any organs or body parts other than skulls. It contains degraded remains of neurons and neuroglial cells, which are not found in any organ except in brains/spinal cords. Those degraded neurons and glias could only have come from a calvarium, because the subject fossil does not look like a vertebra at all. It is unlikely for many bone cells, neurons, neuroglial cells, and blood vessels to leave a skull, get into another skull, and get preserved there in continuous formation.
7-3
Couldn’t it be a non-human calvarium?

All crania have different, distinctive shapes among different orders of animal (ref. 5). The author has compared the fossil with various animal skulls and found only human skulls matched the fossil. The No. 1 distinction of human skulls lies in their large cranial capacity. No other animal has a skull that remotely matches human skulls in cranial capacity, cranial shape and cranial size.
7-4
Couldn’t it be later than the Carboniferous age?

I cannot believe that Mr. Conrad found his fossils in a foreign country or even in another state, as hundreds of such fossils have been found there and many fossils were still outcropping there. Such outcropping “fossils” include a “mummified skull fossil” that is still embedded in a boulder weighing over 250 kilograms (Fig. 2-13). Why would he lie about their place of origin when he cared most about hundreds of “rocks’” being recognized as fossils? When his rocks have been demonstrated to be fossils, that means he was right all along, including the fossils’ place of origin.
Even if it were not from the Carboniferous age, it would still be the oldest human skull cap in the world, as its original blood vessels have carbonized into shiny bituminous coal/anthracite (Fig. 5). Bituminous coal found east of the Rocky Mountain in the U.S.A. is at least ten million years old. No other human skull cap has ever been found to be so old in the whole world.

Conclusion:
The author has examined through microscopes more than 30 thin sections cut from “rocks” that Mr. Ed Conrad discovered and sent to the author. Without exception, they are all found to be fossils, including the subject “calvarium fossil”. The object is a Carboniferous human calvarium fossil for the following reasons:
(1) its computed-tomography images bear close resemlance to those of a calvarium; (2) it contains fossilized osteocytes, Haversian canals, osteons, red blood cells and various blood vessels in the specimens and thin sections ; (3) it contains remains of neurons and neuroglial cells that exist only in the central nervous system; (4) No other animal has an organ or body part that matches its inner/outer shape and size; (5) Its inner cavity has a capacity of at least 1,025 cc.; (6) It was found between coal veins near Mahanoy, Pennsylvania, where geological structure has been dated to be around 300 million years old. Some of the fossil’s blood vessels have turned into coal, suggesting it once existed in a coal region. In addition to the subject fossil, there are at least two other pieces of evidence for human existence in the Carboniferous age.
+

References:

Ref. 1: Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull
Ref. 2: “Estimation of Cranial Volume in Dissecting Room Cadavers” by K.Y. Manjunath, J. Anat. Soc. India 51(2) pp.168-172 (2002)
Ref. 3: Same as ref. 2.
Ref. 4: Brain Facts and Figures in an article at URL:
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/facts.html
Ref. 5: On-line article at URL: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bex/31.pdf
(Page 4 of a teaching plan for grade three of primary schools)
Ref. 6: On-line material at URL: http://www.boneclones.com/BH-019.htm
Ref. 7: Neanderthal physical traits in a Wikipedia article at URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal (See anatomy section)
Ref. 8: Same as ref. 4.
Ref. 9: On-line article at URL: www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/java.html
Ref. 10: Same as ref. 9.
Ref. 11: Digital microscope—Dino-Lite AM-313T5 made by AnMo Electronics Corp. http://www.anmo.com.tw/