Fossils: Clues to Ancient Life
- Biology
- Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–5
What you’ll find out
- A fossil is the preserved remains or trace of a living thing from long ago.
- Fossils form when hard parts are buried quickly and slowly turn to stone.
- Fossils show extinct living things and how environments have changed.
No sign-up and no real names. In the lesson you check your understanding as you read, and practise until it sticks.
How a fossil forms
A fossil is the remains or trace of a plant or animal that lived long ago. Most living things simply rot away after they die, so fossils are rare. Sometimes, though, an animal dies near water and is quickly buried by mud or sand. Its soft parts rot, but hard parts such as bones, teeth and shells remain. Over millions of years more layers pile on top, the mud slowly hardens into rock, and minerals turn the bones to stone.
What fossils tell us
Fossils are clues that tell us about life long ago. They show us animals and plants that no longer exist, such as dinosaurs. They also reveal how places have changed. Fossils of sea creatures have been found high on mountain tops, which tells us that the land was once under the sea. Fossils of ferns that need warm, wet weather have been found in icy places, so those places must once have been much warmer.
Curriculum links: NGSS 3-LS4-1 · England KS2: Evolution and inheritance · Cambridge Primary Stages 4–6: Biology · NCERT Environmental Studies, Classes 3–5