Kids are often fascinated by fossils, believe it or not these archaeological wonders are also loved by adults as well. A fossil is like a window into our planet's past or a time capsule. It is hard to imagine that millions of years in the past there was not a single human on the Earth, and all there existed was these ancient animals. The information on fossils for kids which should be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about our planet's history and past inhabitants is highlighted below.
To start with, it is beneficial to learn about how fossils are formed. Some creatures and insects were buried quickly soon after they died, for example in a sandstorm, or by sinking in mud. More sediment buried these remains in time and the pieces of the creatures that were not able to decompose, such as teeth and bones, were fully encased within the sediment.
The buried creatures bodies underwent various changes after a considerable amount of time and this is millions of years as opposed to centuries. The bone that once formed the skeleton slowly decayed, water that was infused with various minerals replaced the chemicals that were present in the bone.
Dissolving of the original bone minerals which are then replaced with other minerals typically involves the fossilization process. The result of this process is a rock-like heavier version of the original creature. In a chemical sense it is actually a rock although a fossil has exactly the same shape as the original.
There are other ways in which a fossil can form, for example petrification. Petrification occurs when organic material is supplanted with compounds such as silica, pyrite, or calcite. A substance that is often found in a petrified state is wood. Some small organisms can remain basically intact within amber, a hardened tree sap. If a certain insects or plants' DNA can be extracted from remains encased in Amber, it is believed that they can one day be brought back to life
One that is often overlooked and definietly interesting fact is that most of our planet's ancient animals did not fossilize, they simple died and disappeared from history. The paleontologists suggest that only a very small percentage of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures have been identified through the fossil record.
Not all fossils are a result of the death of an animal, some actually give an indication of their actions or habits. For example, footprints of dinosaurs have been found in various places of the world. These impressions would have been made in conditions such as wet mud, and have then gradually filled with sediments which overtime have eroded.
The actual term "fossil" has it's origin in the Latin word "fossilis", meaning dug up. Today, all the knowledge that exists in relation to dinosaurs comes from the study of fossils. Information and facts on fossils for kids are too numerous to list here, thankfully it is a subject that is becoming more in depth with every passing year. New discoveries are being made constantly that change our comprehension of what life was like on the Earth millions of years ago.
To start with, it is beneficial to learn about how fossils are formed. Some creatures and insects were buried quickly soon after they died, for example in a sandstorm, or by sinking in mud. More sediment buried these remains in time and the pieces of the creatures that were not able to decompose, such as teeth and bones, were fully encased within the sediment.
The buried creatures bodies underwent various changes after a considerable amount of time and this is millions of years as opposed to centuries. The bone that once formed the skeleton slowly decayed, water that was infused with various minerals replaced the chemicals that were present in the bone.
Dissolving of the original bone minerals which are then replaced with other minerals typically involves the fossilization process. The result of this process is a rock-like heavier version of the original creature. In a chemical sense it is actually a rock although a fossil has exactly the same shape as the original.
There are other ways in which a fossil can form, for example petrification. Petrification occurs when organic material is supplanted with compounds such as silica, pyrite, or calcite. A substance that is often found in a petrified state is wood. Some small organisms can remain basically intact within amber, a hardened tree sap. If a certain insects or plants' DNA can be extracted from remains encased in Amber, it is believed that they can one day be brought back to life
One that is often overlooked and definietly interesting fact is that most of our planet's ancient animals did not fossilize, they simple died and disappeared from history. The paleontologists suggest that only a very small percentage of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures have been identified through the fossil record.
Not all fossils are a result of the death of an animal, some actually give an indication of their actions or habits. For example, footprints of dinosaurs have been found in various places of the world. These impressions would have been made in conditions such as wet mud, and have then gradually filled with sediments which overtime have eroded.
The actual term "fossil" has it's origin in the Latin word "fossilis", meaning dug up. Today, all the knowledge that exists in relation to dinosaurs comes from the study of fossils. Information and facts on fossils for kids are too numerous to list here, thankfully it is a subject that is becoming more in depth with every passing year. New discoveries are being made constantly that change our comprehension of what life was like on the Earth millions of years ago.
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