Fossils Did you know that th
more than 660 differ
plants have been found
What are fossils? Pits in California?
Fossils are the remains or traces of ancient life that have been preserved by natural
processes, from spectacular skeletons to tiny sea shells. Imprints tracks and trails can
also become fossilised, like dinosaur footprints or worm burrows. These are called
trace fossils. By studying the remains of life and the traces it left behind, we can learn
a lot about how animals and plants lived and behaved millions of years ago.
What types of fossils are there?
There are two main types of fossils, body fossils and trace fossils. Body fossils are the
remains of plants or animals that were once living. The most common examples are
dinosaur bones. Trace fossils are signs of once-living organisms such as a footprint.
How are fossils formed?
Fossils are formed in a number of different ways, but
most are formed when a plant or animal dies in a
watery environment and is buried in mud and silt. Soft
tissues quickly decompose leaving the hard bones and
shells behind. Over time, sediments build over the top
and harden into rock. As the sheathed bones decay, minerals ooze in replacing the
organic materials cell by cell in a process called ‘crystallization’. Alternatively, the
bones may completely decay leaving a cast of organism. The void that is left behind
may then be filled with minerals making a stone replica of the organism.
What is paleontology?
Paleontology is the science of the forms of life existing in former geologic periods, as
represented by their fossils.
What is a paleontologist mean?
A paleontologist is a scientist who studies or discovers fossils. They try to figure out
how things were in ancient times by studying their remains in fossil traces.
