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Facts about Fossils
On this page you have some facts
about fossils.
What Is a Fossil?
A fossil is a trace (a body part, a foorprint etc) of an organism (plant,
animal or any other organism) that has been naturally buried and consequently permanently preserved.
Where
Are Fossils Found?
You
won't find a lot of fossils, but if you go picking up rocks, every now
and again you will come across a fossil.One important thing you know when you see a fossil, is that the rock it is in is a sedimentary rock - this is the only kind of rock where fossils are found.
How
Are Fossils Formed?
The
reason why all living organisms don't become fossils is that there has
to be a certain set of
coincidences for a fossil to form. The body part
or footprints have to be in a place that is, or soon will, be covered
in water (poor oxygen conditions are needed). Under the water, sediment
buries the body part, bones or footprints. As new sediment layers are
added, the traces of the organism are fossilised. For us to find the
fossil, the place is now on the land, exposed by erosion.
Famous
Fossil Sites
There
are many famous fossil sites in the world. Germany has the
earliest
bird fossils, Austria has got some famous mammoth fossils, African
sites are known for early human fossils and north America has got the
largest dinosaur fossils. In northern Australia, there is a famous
megafauna fossil site.
Collecting
Fossils
Collecting
fossils is just as much fun as is collecting rocks and minerals. As you
find
them in the rocks, you can carve
them out or leave them inside the rock, and place them
into a section of your rock and
mineral collection.
Fossil
Identification
Fossil
identification may require some experience. Body parts of large animals
are of course impossible to identify unless you are an expert. But,
good news is, you're much more likely to find fossils of small animals,
more exactly - small
marine animals from the Cambrian
Explosion. These
animals include corals, gastropods, bivalves, ammonites, crinoids,
brachiopods, trilobites, bryozoans and graptolites, and they are not
hard to distinguish from one another.
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