fossil

fossil, remains or imprints of plants or animals preserved from prehistoric times by the operation of natural conditions. Fossils are found in sedimentary rock, asphalt deposits, and coal and sometimes in amber and certain other materials. The scientific study of fossils is paleontology. Not until c.1800 were fossils generally recognized as the remains of living things of the past and accepted as an invaluable record of the earth's history.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Petrifaction of Remains
• The Preservation of Flesh and Soft Parts
• The Creation of Natural Molds
• The Formation of Fossils
• Bibliography

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