Page 113 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Fossils SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Dinosaurs p.80
▸ ▸ Fossil fuels p.110
Fossils are the remains of plants and animals from long ▸ ▸ Prehistoric life
ago. They are usually bones or shells that have turned into p.202
stone. Some fossils are so small that we cannot see them ▸ ▸ Rock cycle p.213

without special equipment. Others are as tall as a building. ▸ ▸ Skeleton p.228

The best fossils
are found in very
fine-grained rock. This dinosaur’s
sharp teeth tell We only know
us that it was that dinosaurs
a meat-eater. existed because we
Dinosaur fossil have found their
Sometimes whole animals fossil remains.
can be found as fossils. This
skeleton belonged to a small
dinosaur named Coelophysis
(SEE-low-FY-sis).

Complete fossil
skeletons like
this one are
very rare.

How fossils
are made
To become a fossil,
an animal or plant
needs to be covered
up soon after it
dies. Turning into
a fossil takes 147 million years ago 100 million years ago 2 million years ago 5 years ago
millions of years.
Death Burial Turning to stone Discovery
A dinosaur dies and its Layers of mud, sand, and The skeleton of the Millions of years later,
body sinks into the soft ash cover the dinosaur, dinosaur slowly turns a scientist uncovers
mud by a river. and its flesh rots away. from bone to stone. the fossil skeleton.
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