Vatfossilisation

Vatfossilisation is a term used in speculative paleontology and experimental conservation to describe a hypothetical method by which soft-bodied remains are preserved in large containment vessels, or vats, through rapid mineralization and stabilization of tissues. The concept envisions placing an organism in a controlled chemical milieu that promotes mineral replacement and crosslinking of organic material, yielding a fossil-like state on a reduced timescale.

Proposed mechanisms involve immersion in mineral-rich solutions that favor silicification, calcification, or polymer infiltration, combined with environmental controls to suppress decay. Over weeks to months, portions of tissue may be replaced by minerals, while connective matrices become preserved as three-dimensional frameworks. Techniques borrowed from materials science, such as resin impregnation and crosslinking, might be used to stabilize specimens for imaging or display.

Vatfossilisation is not recognized as a natural fossilization pathway in the geological record. It remains largely theoretical and is discussed mainly in speculative writings or as a laboratory concept for rapid preservation experiments. There are no widely accepted demonstrations of authentic, naturally derived vat fossils produced under controlled vat conditions in real paleontological contexts.

Its imagined advantages include accelerated study of anatomy, controlled replication for museum displays, and potential preservation of soft tissues that usually decay. Critics note that artificial vat processes may produce artifacts or misrepresent original biology and may involve controversial manipulation of specimens. Ethical and authenticity concerns limit adoption in mainstream paleontology.

See also fossilisation, petrification, permineralization, polymer embedding.