Fossils explaintation

FOSSIL’S

Fossils are evidence of ancient life preserved in sedimentary rocks. On Earth, they are clues to what living thing, ecosystems, and Environments were like in the past. The oldest fossils are from mats of blue-green algae that lived over three billion years ago. The youngest fossils are from animals that lived before the beginning of recorded history, 10,000 years ago.

Scientists that study fossils know that the types of creatures that lived on the planet at different times in Earth history have changed quite a bit over millions and millions of years. Each unique type of live form, whether alive today or extinct, is called a species. Most fossils are from species that no longer live on the planet because they have become extinct. Many of these extinct species are somewhat similar to species that live today.

Fossils are not always big dinosaur bones or fancy shells like the ones found in museums. In fact, if we think we have never found a fossil, think again! We probably rely on fossils everyday by using fossil fuels such as oil, gas, or coal to power cars, lights, and heat or cool your house. Fossil fuels are organic carbon from ancient plants and marine life that lived millions year ago. So, every time we pull into a gas station, think about the fossils that are filling the thanks!

Body fossils are remains of actual organisms. Most living things become fossils. It takes special conditions for a fossils to form. Hard part made of mineral such as a shells and bones are much more likely to become body fossils that soft tissues, such as skin, organs, eyes, which usually decay. This means that animal like jellyfish, which have no bones made of hard mineral are rarely preserved.

Trace fossils are clues to how ancient animal lived. For instance, if we were to make footprints on the beach today and the beach sand eventually became cemented together forming a rock called sandstone, our footprints would be in the rock as well. They would be trace fossils and evidence that we were once there. This does not happen very often think about all the people, dogs, crabs, bird and other animals that walk over a beach each day. Fee, if any, of those footprints will become fossils someday. Most of them are washed away by wind and waves. Other examples of traces fossils include crab burrows, dinosaur bite marks, and bear claw starches on the walls of caves.