How-fossils-form

How fossils form




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   Fossils are a window on a lost world. They are our only evidence of spectacular creatures that lived long ago, and of the preserves the form or traces of a living thing that died many million of years ago. When something dies, its remains are usually broken up and attacked by decay organisms that completely destroy it. But some parts are more likely to survive than other especially the shells, bones and teeth of dead animals . if they escape destruction for long enough and are buried below ground, they may be replaced by minerals dissolved in groundwater. These can then harden to stone, creating a typical fossil.

An long process

    Most of the time, fossilization is a gradual process. After thousands of years, a shell or bone can looks as if it has been buried for just a few weeks, especially if it has been frozen. Creating a stony fossil usually takes millions of years as the body tissue of an animail is gradually replaced with the minerals that will eventually turn it to stone. The result often mimics the original in every tiny detail,and this gives scientists vital clues about the animal and how it lived in the distantpast

Reconstruction
A well-preserved fossillzed skeleton canbe put back together to show what the animal was like. Scientists can also use computers to model it s muscles and other organs, and work out how it moved.