Fossils and Evolution
The term "fossil" originating from the Latin word "fossilis", which refers to an object from the ground, refers to the remains and traces of organisms that lived during the geological time. The range of fossils is wide, ranging from dinosaur bones and shells to traces of life forms such as footprints and excretions. In general, organisms are eaten by others or rapidly degraded and destroyed by microorganisms, and even if buried quickly, it is likely to be destroyed by heat and pressure before it is fossilized. Although the probability of being preserved is less than 1%, they can tell us the evolution of life.
Entrapment in natural resin(insert in amber)
Infiltration by mineral(petrified wood)
Carbonization(carbonized lycopods)
Recrystallization(shells)
Cast and mold
(external features of a trilobites preserved)
Traces
This Silurian trilobite, originally with a chitinous exoskeleton, was recrystallized as dolomite, which is resistant to chemical erosion during the preservation process, leaving its beautiful appearance as a fossil.
Types of fossil preservation
Fossils can be classified into several categories according to the way they are preserved. Direct preservation of body (body fossil), mineral substances penetrating into the tissue of the organism, volatilized and leaving only carbon (carbonization), and remains of activities such as feces, footprints, and crawl marks (trace fossils).
Footprint
Dinosaur footprints