There are different kinds of fossils

• Petrified• Molds and casts• Carbon film• Trace• Preserved remains

Petrified Fossils

• Forms when water that is rich in minerals seeps into spaces in cells and then over time evaporates out.

• When the water evaporates it leaves the minerals behind.

• The minerals turn harden and turn the organism to stone

Molds and casts

• A mold is a hollow area in sediment where an organism used to be

• A cast is a copy of the shape of the organism

Cast Fossil

Mold fossil

Mold Cast

Carbon Film

• The organism leaves an extremely thin coating of carbon on a rock

• Gases escape from the sediment and leave carbon behind

Trace Fossils

• Provides evidence of animal activity.• Example:– Footprint / Caves– Poop

Preserved Remains (body fossils)

• Some processes preserve the remains of organisms with little or no change– Tar pits– Amber– Freezing