March 27, 2002
Dennis Petersen
4345 Stevens Ct.
Placerville, CA 95667
Dear Dennis,
I was first able to view what I now believe to be a fossilized human finger shortly after it was excavated. At that time my comment was "interesting".
The fossil clearly had the shape of a human finger. It had a fine taper of the tip, typical of a female finger. Male fingers tend to be a bit more blunt. The fingernail and cuticle were clearly visible and perfectly formed and proportioned. Nevertheless, I withheld judgment as to its authenticity knowing that rocks such as limestone can assume nearly any shape when they flow into a hole before setting up.
Several years later I was privileged to view the fossil again after it had been sectioned. At that time I observed that the fossil was not of uniform or random density and coloration. The internal appearance of the fossil was identical to what one sees when a human finger is sectioned. The skin margins and subcutaneous tissue were clearly delineated. The bone matrix was clearly defined, and features consistent with flexor and extensor tendons were present.
CT scans of the fossil likewise revealed the anatomical features of a human finger, as noted above.
It is my professional opinion that the fossil unearthed at Glen Rose, Texas, is, in fact, a petrified human finger and not an infill of a wormhole or similar artifact.
Sincerely,
Dale H. Peterson, M.D.