By studying the fossil record we can tell how long life has existed on Earth, and how different plants and animals are related to each other. Often we can work out how and where they lived, and use this information to find out about ancient environments. Fossils can tell us a lot about the past.
Five types of fossils: (a) insect preserved in amber, (b) petrified wood (permineralization), (c) cast and mold of a clam shell, (d) pyritized ammonite, and (e) compression fossil of a fern.Feb 24, 2012
Fossils are formed in a number of different ways, but most are formed when a plant or animal dies in a watery environment and is buried in mud and silt. Soft tissues quickly decompose leaving the hard bones or shells behind. Over time sediment builds over the top and hardens into rock.
The four types of fossils are:mold fossils (a fossilized impression made in the substrate - a negative image of the organism)cast fossils (formed when a mold is filled in)trace fossils = ichnofossils (fossilized nests, gastroliths, burrows, footprints, etc.)More items...
The new rock that forms contains new fossils. So, much of the earth's surface is recent, compared to the age of the planet itself. Old rocks are rare, so of course old fossils are rare too. The second reason is that many old rocks have spent time buried.Jul 22, 1999