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How are Fossils Formed of Once Living Things

By Stephen Mason


Many people are curious about the world and the organism that live within it. Many creatures have lived and died as the earth is very old. By exploring their remains we can discover more about the creatures that have lived long before . An interesting area of study is how are fossils formed and what is means to science.

Matters that are new to them intrigue kids. They have several important questions and are fascinated by things that are different from what they see every day. When they see an astonishingly beautiful flower, they become intrigued by how it got that way and other fascinating facts about the flower.

Adults, too, have curiosity about the unknown. In fact, some go into the fields of science like botany and geology to figure out the life of plants and rocks and study parts of the unknown for the rest of their lives. Some individuals can make great discoveries in these fields that help others to understand the natural world better.

The question what happens to things when they die is one of the curiosities of the world. It is true that cultures have different burial habits and rituals. It is believed that some animals such as elephants are evolved enough to mourn and bury their dead like the humans. Some traditions take care of the remains of people and animals that die by burying and sometimes cremating the bodies.

There are times when people lose their lives and they are far away from their culture. It could be the hiker who was caught in a mudslide or the mountain climber that happened to be on the peak that suddenly erupted with lava. Chance might have it that they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

For fossilization to take place it generally takes a great deal of chance. In most cases, the person or animal that is laid to rest in the mud would basically decompose like normal. But, if the mud holds the correct quantity of clay or tar and it covers the body adequately, it can harden and retain the remains. The covering of the body protects it from the elements that would oxidize it and cause it to decay.

This can also happen to pesky insects that get stuck in the sap of a tree. The sap can trap the bug and over time toughen and become petrified which makes it as hard as rock under the right conditions. Obviously, the insect will die but its body will be able to be studied years and years later in almost the same form as it was the moment that it died.

Museums often set up exhibits to explain to visitors the concept of finding the remains of people and creatures from long ago. Once one understands the concept of preserving and protecting things from the elements it is easier to understand how are fossils developed. Another way to obtain the state of fossilization is freezing People will likely continue to try to understand and try to find uses for creatures who have been preserved in this rare form.




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