New User ? Sign Up  |  Sign In  |  Help
Strange Questions
Get the Answers at Strange Questions!
ask
answer
explore
Search for questions :
My Profile

NotEinstein

Open Questions Bookmark and Share

How are fossils formed?


How do fossils get stuck in rocks and form fossils?

5416 day(s) ago

    Comment(s) (0)
    Report Abuse
   Find Interesting  
   Email to Friends  
   Bookmark  
   Subscribe to Answer Alert  
No comments yet !!!     Be the first to comment !!!
Answers (1)

bjones
For science geeks like me, fossils are about the coolest things in the world. Fossils tell us the story of the history of life on Earth. Fossils take a couple of different forms but they all involve a record of life forms preserved in rock. Some fossils are imprints in rock that show animals or plants were once there. These are called trace fossils. Other fossils are the preserved form of the plants or animals themselves. No matter which type they are, fossils are formed in a similar manner and tell us about how life originated, changed, and evolved on the planet.

To understand how fossils are made, we have to understand a little bit about geology and rock formations. Fossils are found in the top layer of the Earth, called the crust. Most of the rock in the Earth’s crust is sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rock is formed whey sand, dirt, and other small particles are collected together. Over time, more and more particles may collect. The particles on the bottom are pressed together and as water seeps down into them, minerals are collected in the gaps. Eventually, the particles become dense and hard, forming a layer of rock. Through time, layers are continually added on top of the old ones.

Normally, plants and animals decompose within a few years. Sometimes, animals and plants die in places with lots of moving particles, or sediment, that eventually forms sedimentary rock. Some places with lots of sediment are river beds, lakes, and oceans. The sediment quickly covers the organisms, giving them some protection from decomposition. Eventually, the softer parts of the animal or plant decompose but the harder parts remain like bones, teeth, and claws. Water slowly washes or trickles through the bones, or other hard parts of the organism, carrying very tiny particles of sediment and minerals. Some of the minerals begin to stick and, after time, cover the entire part. In addition, water enters the inside of the hard matter and minerals begin to fill in the entire bone. After thousands and millions of years, minerals and bones merge into one rock-like formation. So, fossils are a mixture of rock and the original organism. The sediment around the fossil eventually becomes sedimentary rock with fossils embedded inside.





Posted 5416 day ago

( 0 )
( 0 )
    Comment(s) (0)
   Report Abuse
No comments yet !!! Be the first to comment on this answer !!!

Edit your answer. Click save when done.
Question Title How are fossils formed?
Your Answer
Character Count ( Max. - 5000 ) : 51
Email this question link to friends
Please enter e-mail address and name for each friend..
Friend #1 -
Friend #2 -
Friend #3 -
Friend #4 -
Friend #5 -
  Your comment on this question
Max Allowed : 5000 Characters Current Count : 0
  Your comment on this answer
Max Allowed : 5000 Characters Current Count : 0

Copyright © 2024 Terms & Conditions