How Fossils Form and What They Tell Us

Part 1· ~7 min read

Following the death of a living thing, a fossil comes into being through the preservation of hard body components an animal leaves behind, such as bones, teeth, shell or nails. Fossils are generally thought of as…

Part 2· ~1 min read

Just as with the living species, fossils too are studied under sections referred to as "kingdoms." In the 19th century, fossils were grouped together under two basic categories: either plants or animals. Subsequent…

Part 3· ~13 min read

The first basic information regarding the Earth's crust began to be acquired in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, during the buildings of railways and tunnels. William Smith, a British tunnel builder, saw that…

Part 4· ~2 min read

Fossils are widely dispersed just about everywhere on Earth. Almost no fossils are encountered in some types of rock, but large numbers are found in others. Geologists have divided rock types into three main groups:

Part 5· ~3 min read

The tools used to collect fossils are simple ones such as those used by geologists: hammers, trowels, various cutting implements, compasses, brushes and sieves.

Part 6· ~6 min read

Fossils unearthed to date possess two very important features, both of which conflict with the claims of the theory of evolution: