Fossils

paleontology · ancient life · earth history · evolution

Clues from the past. Fossils are anything left behind from plants and animals that lived long ago, like bones, shells, footprints, or even whole creatures trapped in amber. Scientists study these treasures to learn what life was like millions of years ago.

Many forms of fossils. Fossils can be actual body parts (bones, teeth, feathers), impressions left in rock that show the shape of something, or even petrified wood that turned to stone over time. Sometimes scientists find DNA remnants that tell us about ancient animals' genetics.

Pieces of a puzzle. While fossils don't tell us everything about Earth's history because not all creatures became fossils, they give us enough information to understand how life evolved and changed over billions of years. Each fossil is like a clue in a giant mystery.

Bridging the gaps. Sometimes fossils help us understand how animals evolved from one type to another, like the famous discovery of Tiktaalik in Canada, which showed how fish started developing legs to walk on land.

The fossil record. When scientists put all fossils together, they create what's called the fossil record, which is like a history book of life on Earth written in stone.