Tale of the Fossils
Fossilization -- the preservation process-- requires that the organism -- or the footprint or impression -- be covered with sediment before it is eaten or washed away.
These are some of the processes that produce fossils:
| Permineralization occurs when water-borne minerals deposit around the bone structure. 
| | Petrification happens when minerals replace the bone structure itself. This process can replace the organic molecules one for one and thus can show the bone in microscopic detail.
| | A natural cast occurs when flowing water removes all the original bone, leaving an impression of its outside. | |
The word "paleontology" is derived from the Greek words meaning "the science or study of ancient life." Usually, paleontology does not concern itself with human remains, artifacts or cultures; these are the realms of archaeology and anthropology. Paleontologists excavate and study fossils, the remains of once-living plants and animals.
Preserving Vertebrate Fossils
PALEONTOLOGY & FOSSILS RESOURCES
A journey through time
Fossils, Rocks, and Time
Fossils and Dinosaurs Page
Eocene Fossils
FOSSILS OF CALVERT CLIFFS
