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- DictionaryFos·sil/ˈfäs(ə)l/
noun
- 1. the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock: "sites rich in fossils"
A fossil (from Classical Latin fossilis, lit. 'obtained by digging') [1] is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants.
Definition of fossil noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Key points. A fossil is the preserved evidence of an organism that lived in the distant past. Some fossils are formed from body parts, such as shells or bones. Others, such as preserved footprints, are from traces of an organism’s behaviors. Fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock.
- What is a fossil record and Why do we have a fossil record?A fossil record is a record of all the fossils and their dates found on the earth. We have it because it helps keep track of things that lived a lo...
- what is the fossil recordFossil record, history of life as documented by fossils, the remains or imprints of organisms from earlier geological periods preserved in sediment...
- Is it true that the person that finds new species can name them?Traditionally, the person who first describes a newfound plant or animal is entitled to name it.
- Why are scientists so interested in fossilsScientists are interested in fossils because they are one of the only things that can tell us about prehistoric times.
- what is radiometric datingRadiometric dating is a method used to find the age of fossils. It uses very unstable radioactive isotopes. Over time, radioactive isotopes decay i...
- can they ever bring back the species that long ago was in the world with fossil records?maybe but that would take lots and lots of work
- If I die in sap can I be preserved and still live or not.of course not. you will be dead and you body will decay wether or not you are in side the sap
- What is the fossil recordsFossil record, history of life as documented by fossils, the remains or imprints of organisms from earlier geological periods preserved in sediment...
A fossil is any evidence of past life. Fossils formed from animal bodies or their imprints are called body fossils. When people think about fossils, they usually think about body fossils.
- Human Uses
- Places of Special Preservation
- Types of Fossils
- Early Notice Taken of Fossils
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People have found many uses for fossils. Some fossils are found and sold. Other fossils like those in the Tamiami formationare used in the construction of roads. In some places fossils are used as a mulch- material used to cover soil. Some fossils are used as a marker to determine formation . Some fossils are used as a source of fuel, these fossils...
There are some sites where fossils have been found with remarkable details, or in large numbers. Palaeontologists call these sites by the German term Lagerstätten. The La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, California, is such a place. So are the Solnhofen limestone quarries in Bavaria. In the Earth’s structure a very important place for fossils is the B...
Microscopic, or very tiny’', fossils are called “microfossils”. Larger, macroscopicfossils — such as those of seashells and mammals — are called "macrofossils". Sometimes natural stones look like fossilized organisms, but they are not fossils at all. Rather, they are called "pseudofossils". Although most fossils are formed from the hard parts of or...
Many pre-scientific peoples noticed fossils, but not all thought they were the remains of living things. Perhaps the first to leave a record of his thought was the Ancient Greek philosopher Xenophanes (about 570BC–470BC).p. 387His ideas were reported by later writers: 1. "Shells [are] found in the midst of the land, and on mountains. In the quarrie...
Iggulden, Hal; Iggulden, Conn (2007). "Fossils". The Dangerous Book for Boys. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-0061243585.
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The remains or imprint of an organism from a previous geologic time. A fossil can consist of the preserved tissues of an organism, as when encased in amber, ice, or pitch, or more commonly of the hardened relic of such tissues, as when organic matter is replaced by dissolved minerals.
Something preserved in the ground, esp. in petrified form in rock, and recognizable as the remains of a living organism of a former geological period, or as preserving an impression or trace of such an organism. guide, molecular, trace fossil, etc.: see the first element. Fossils are typically hard parts, such as bones, teeth, shells, or wood ...
