What can fossils tell us?

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of dead organisms.

They show us how living things and the environment have changed since the time they were alive.

Fossils have been found in rocks of all ages, going back billions of years. However, most of the species found in the fossil record have died out or become extinct.

Did you know?

Fossils can tell us about geographical changes to our landscape.

A megalodon is an extinct species of giant shark which lived in the Earth's oceans many millions of years ago. Megalodon fossils have been found in Utah in the United States which is landlocked, which means that it is not connected to the sea or ocean.

This shows us that some of the land that we now walk on used to be covered in seawater and was vibrant with life.

Fossils provide a snap shot of the past and allow us to study how much or how little organisms have changed as life developed on Earth.

Only organisms that die in specific conditions will go on to become a fossil. In fact, the fossilisation process is incredibly rare as you will find out in this video.

• Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent on Earth.
• You can find fossils made off animal poo, these are called coprolites. Stinky!
• The word fossil comes from the Latin word fossilis, which literally means ‘dug up’, 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.
• Fossils aren'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.

Did you know?

The oldest known fossils are stromatolites which were found in Western Australia.

They were estimated to be about 3.4 billion years old.

Stromatolites are formed by colonies of microorganisms, such as bacteria, which were some of the earliest forms of life on Earth.

Fossils can be found in surprising places and they can tell us about the past.

We call all of the fossils we have found the fossil record. This record shows us how living things have changed from simple life forms billions of years ago.

Not all fossils have been found and some may have been destroyed so there are gaps in the fossil record.

Did you know?

Mary Anning (1799-1847) was a British fossil collector and palaeontologist.

Anning was a pioneer of collecting, and displaying fossils. She identified several fossils of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and pterosaurs.

In the 19th century women like Mary Anning weren't allowed to be members of the Geological Society of London, so she didn't always receive credit for her scientific work.

Extinct – An organism that is no longer in existence. Dinosaurs have been extinct for many millions of years.

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

Fossil record – A record of fossils that shows how living things have evolved over time.

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

Geographical – The features of the Earth's surface.

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

Palaeontologist – Scientists who study fossils.