Paleontology: Fossils, Fossils, Fossils!
Everyone loves Fossils!
Paleontologists are geologists and scientists who
specialize in the study of fossils. Fossils help to tell the story of
our great Earth. Almost all fossils are found in sedimentary rock such
as shale, limestone, and sandstone. A fossil is formed when an animal
or plant dies and is quickly buried by sediment before it has time to
decay. The hard parts of the animal or plant such as shells, bone and
wood are fossilized in the rock formed from the sediment.
Paleontologists search for fossils as clues to what early life on Earth was like. From fossils we can tell what plants and animals roamed the Earth and lived in the oceans. We can even tell what the animals ate and how they lived. Some fossils can even be used to map the location of a specific rock formation over many, many miles.
Plant and Animal Fossils
Both
plant and animals that lived on land and in the water can be found as
fossils. Some plants and animals that have been found as fossils are
still in existence today but others died out long ago. For example,
sponges and corals are still in existence today but one of the most
famous fossils, the trilobite, died out around 500 million years ago.
Dinosaurs
Perhaps the most famous and most interesting of all animals that have lived on the Earth are the dinosaurs. To date, scientists have discovered and named about 700 species of dinosaurs although many people think that
there
are hundreds more that remain to be discovered. The smallest dinosaurs
that have been discovered are about the size of a chicken. The largest
dinosaurs that have been discovered are as big as two school busses!
Dinosaurs are amazing animals because of their vast differences in
size, shape, eating habits and survival methods. Searching for and
learning about these prehistoric creatures can be one of the most
rewarding and interesting professions or hobbies known today.