FOSSILS

A fossil is a remnant, impression, or trace of an animal or plant of a past

geologic age that has been preserved in Earth’s crust. The complex of
data recorded in fossils worldwide—known as the fossil record—is
the primary source of information about the history of life on Earth.
Fossilized footprint of an unidentified dinosaur. © Getty Images
7 Evolution of the Geologic Sciences 7
Only a small fraction of ancient organisms are preserved as fossils.
Usually only organisms that have a solid and resistant skeleton
(vertebrates) are readily preserved. Most major groups of invertebrate
animals have a calcareous skeleton or shell (e.g., corals, mollusks, brachiopods).
Other forms have shells of calcium phosphate (which also
occurs in the bones of vertebrates) or silicon dioxide. A shell or bone
that is buried quickly after deposition may retain these organic tissues,
though they become petrified (converted to a stony substance)
over time. Unaltered hard parts, such as the shells of clams or brachiopods,
are relatively common in sedimentary rocks, and some are
quite old.
The hard parts of organisms that become buried in sediment
may be subject to a variety of other changes during their conversion
to solid rock, however. Solutions may fill the interstices, or pores, of
the shell or bone with calcium carbonate or other mineral salts and
thus fossilize the remains, in a process known as permineralization.