>>12340711I imagine they would be affected by *something*. They would still get worn down by the elements, soluble parts of the body would get dissolved in rainwater, and many biological structures will fall apart into simpler things (like hydrocarbons) through purely chemical processes -- many biological substances are not chemically stable, and will fall apart sooner or later under the influence of heat, moisture, temperature changes, acidic/basic environments, and shit like that. But certainly the process of a body falling apart over time would look very different before biological decomposers were around. As I understand it, before the advent of decomposing microorganisms, dead organisms that didn't get eaten (including those organisms that nothing could eat, which for a long time included things like trees) would fall apart into more basal chemical structures. The same process that makes charcoal (burn wood or otherwise heat it to similar temperatures in a low-oxygen environment) will also turn you into charcoal, if you don't get a chance to rot first.
Which, if you are wondering, does mean that no more fossil fuels get formed today. At least not under common situations, extreme conditions like "mountain falls on top of you and you are crushed under extreme pressure" might still do it, but that doesn't get you the fossil fuel bulk we enjoy today.
