# Oil and Dinosaurs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-and-dinosaurs/2030>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 19, 1999, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-and-dinosaurs/2030 "1999-07-19T06:01:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 1999, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-and-dinosaurs/2030/1 "1999-07-19T06:01:00Z")

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Being that we now have to sink wells to a great depth does that mean that the Earth had a lot less mass way back when they roamed it ? or is it just that the Earth acts like a sponge to everything that contains fluid and dies ? Will we all come back as fossil fuel someday ?

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Take Good Care, Scott E.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 1999, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-and-dinosaurs/2030/2 "1999-07-19T14:14:00Z")

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Hi Scott,

If you check though the archives there’s an article about this.

The Earth’s mass only changes through material from space i.e. meteorites landing on it. So the Earth did have less mass when the Dinosaurs roamed around but only because less meteors had landed.

If you take away all the meteors the Earth should weigh the same now as it did when the Dinosaurs ruled the planet. It’s all that ashes to ashes business.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 1999, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-and-dinosaurs/2030/3 "1999-07-19T14:55:00Z")

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I’m such a swell guy, Scott. I saved you the trouble of looking for it:

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_355.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_355.html)  
Alphagene