Ark Park displays giant palm frond

I was forwarded a press release from Answers in Genesis the other day. They tout a new addition to their collection, a giant palm frond:

"Meanwhile, the Ark Encounter continues to make major additions. On the third deck of the massive ship [sic], a large exhibit highlighting a giant plant fossil is now on display. This unique 10’7” palm frond fossil was discovered in the well-known Green River Formation of Wyoming.

"Dr. Andrew Snelling, head of the research department at AiG, declared: 'It is a phenomenal, world-class fossil. It is not millions of years old. The palm frond was buried catastrophically as a result of the global flood of Noah’s day about 4,500 years ago.' A family in Wisconsin made the fossil’s donation possible."

The palm frond, we note, is in very good condition for something that was buried catastrophically.

Fortunately, Green River Shale fossils are actually common and well-studied, so this display isn’t hurting scientific research as badly as the Allosaurus specimen they received from the neo-Confederate Michael Peroutka. Magnificent specimens like these are very expensive. This one was probably prepared by the Green River Stone Company, a commercial excavator and preparation company that is concerned exclusively with making sales (one of many problems with the commercial fossil market; sales do not necessarily benefit scientific research). Ham’s Wisconsin donors must have deep pockets. I hope the donors and the costs are revealed on a future AiG or Crosswater Canyon IRS Form 990. I will be looking.

Matt Young will be the principal moderator of this thread.