In Science we have been learning about ‘Evolution and Inheritance’ and this week we focused on fossils!
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of once living animals and plants.
How is a fossil made?
The process by which a fossil is formed is called fossilisation. After an animal dies, the soft parts of its body decompose leaving the hard parts, like the skeleton, behind. This becomes buried by small particles of rock called sediment. As more layers of sediment build up on top, the sediment around the skeleton begins to compact and turn to rock. The bones then start to be dissolved by water seeping through the rock. Minerals in the water replace the bone, leaving a rock replica of the original bone called a fossil.
We learnt that there are two types of fossils:
Body fossils: these are the preserved remains the actual body parts of an animal or plant.
Trace fossils: these record the ancient activity of an animal.
We then had a go at making a ‘Body fossil imprint’. Take a look at the photos below!
