Description

What are Fossils? A fossil is a preserved remains of a living thing, such as an animal or a microbe. They can be preserved in stone, amber, or petrified wood, oil, coal, or even DNA remnants. You can learn about them and discover some of their fascinating facts in this book. And while you're reading this, don't forget to check out other fascinating facts about fossils! The odds of finding a fossil of a species are less than the odds of winning the lottery. In fact, there are so many species of fossils that most of them will remain undiscovered! And while the term "rare" is used in a loose manner, the concept is still ambiguous. In the case of trilobites, for example, 20,000 species have been described, but many of these fossils are known only in fragments or minute proportions. The process of fossil formation is a complex one. There are two types of fossils: type I and type II. Type I fossils are those that are actually fossils and trace fossils are made by living creatures. Trace fossils are created by removing bone material from a structure. These fossils may also be molds or exoskeletons, shells, wood, and exoskeletons. Prehistoric reptiles were discovered in fossil beds in Texas. The largest fossil, a petrified tree in Thailand, was over 72 feet tall and weighed nearly 60 tons. Fossils are found on every continent on Earth, even on the top of Mount Everest. This helps scientists to estimate how long dinosaurs lived before they went extinct. When they do, scientists will use these fossils to understand more about the earth's evolution.