[NHCOLL-L:1483] RE: whale bone fossils fungus?

[rich at thewildlifemuseum.org]

You may have marcasite diesease, which isn't a fungus at all, but the
chemical decomposition due to included iron sulphides.  Once called pyrite
disease, I have seen in the clays on MV.

Rich White, Director
International Wildlife Museum

-----Original Message-----
From: King, Angela [mailto:AKing at spfldlibmus.org]
.

We have five small whale bone fossils (about 30,000,000 years old from Gay
Head, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, Mass. USA) that have a yellow dust like
substance on them it is causing them to turn to dust. Humidity is 45%, temp.
is 68*F. Can fossil get fungus? Anyone know how to treat this safely?

thanks,

Angela C. King
.