Fossils are the remains or impressions of things that lived long ago. An animal or plant must be buried quickly for a fossil to form. Over millions of years, this buried material goes through several processes. First, the soft parts decay, leaving behind the harder parts like bones or teeth. Then, mineral-rich water flows into the remains, gradually replacing the organic material with minerals. Third, layers of earth build up on top of the remains and solidify into rock. That is how we get fossils!
Fossils are the remains or impressions of things that lived long ago. An animal or plant must be buried quickly for a fossil to form. Over millions of years, this buried material goes through several processes. First, the soft parts decay, leaving behind the harder parts like bones or teeth. Then, mineral-rich water flows into the remains, gradually replacing the organic material with minerals. Third, layers of earth build up on top of the remains and solidify into rock. That is how we get fossils!