Fossils

A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a dead organism and they are usually found in rocks.

Fossils are formed through a process called fossilisation, which takes many, many years to happen and can only happen if the conditions are just right.

Most fossils that are discovered are from creatures that were alive millions of years ago, but fossils can be made of creatures that were alive more recently.

Fossils are useful to palaeontologists, scientists and historians as they help us to learn more about animals and plants that lived long ago.

Fascinating fossil facts!

• Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent.

• You can find fossils made from poo, these are called coprolites.

• The word fossil comes from the Latin word fossilis, which literally means ‘dug up’ and from the word fodere, which means ‘to dig’.

• Dinosaurs lived in many different environments and climates, from deserts to tropical forests.

• Dinosaurs were reptiles.

• Scientists believe that many species of dinosaurs had feathers, including the velociraptor.

• Fossilsaren't actually bones, the bone is replaced by rocks and minerals over millions of years.

• Fossilisation is a rare event, it only happens in unique conditions before the bones can decompose.

It is very rare for living things to become fossilised because when an animal dies its body usually rots away and nothing is left behind. This is the same with plants.

However, when the conditions are just right a fossil can form. The most common fossils found are of creatures that lived in the sea, because the sediment moves quickly in water and so any creatures that die are usually covered up quickly by layers of mud and sand.

This is why fossils are found in sedimentary rock.

Plants don’t have a shell or a skeleton, so how can a fossil be made from a plant?

Some plants, such as trees, have a hard trunk or branches which can form fossils in the same way as an animal skeleton.

Fossils have also been found of leaves, roots and even the seeds of some plants.

Did you know?

Fossils aren’t just made from a dead animal or plant.

They can also be made from other things that an animal leaves behind, such as an animal footprint, eggs, their burrows and from their poo!

Decompose – To rot away. When something decomposes, it slowly decays and is broken down by natural processes.

Erosion – When materials like rock and sediment are worn away by natural process such as weather or by water.

Fossil – A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a dead organism.

Fossilisation – The name of the process that organic materials go through over millions of years to become fossils.

Historian – Someone studying or an expert in history.

Organism – Any living thing, which includes insects, plants and animals, is an organism.

Palaeontologist – A scientist that studies animal and plant fossils to learn about life in the past.

Scientist – Someone who studies or works in science. A scientist learns about things by doing experiments or examining things very carefully.

Sediment – A solid material that can include rocks, minerals, plant and animal remains, and fossils.

Sedimentary rock – Rocks that are made up of tiny broken pieces of other rocks, crystals or minerals. Sandstone, chalk, and limestone are examples of sedimentary rocks.

Get a pen and paper - it's time to draw!

1. Draw a line down the middle of your paper.
2. On one half, draw an animal's body on the day it is buried in the ground. On the other half, draw its fossil after two million years.
3. Write one sentence to describe how the animal's body has changed.
4. Write a second sentence to describe the type of soil that surrounds the body.

To enter head to Blue Peter where you will also find the competition rules and privacy notice. The competition closes 5pm on 30th June 2025