Collection: Fossils

Fossils of the world

Fossils are the preserved remains, impressions, or traces of ancient organisms—windows into life on Earth millions of years ago.

🦴 What Is a Fossil?

A fossil forms when an organism is buried by sediment shortly after death. Over time, minerals replace organic material, or impressions are left behind, creating a record in stone. Fossils can include:

• Body fossils: bones, shells, teeth, or entire organisms (like trilobites or ammonites)

• Trace fossils: footprints, burrows, or coprolites (fossilized dung)

• Molecular fossils: chemical traces of ancient life, like pigments or DNA fragments

🪨 Types of Fossilization

• Permineralization: minerals fill the pores of organic material (common in bones and wood)

• Carbonization: soft tissues leave a carbon imprint, often seen in plants and fish

• Molds and casts: impressions left in sediment that later harden

• Amber preservation: insects or plant material trapped in tree resin

• Freezing or desiccation: rare but preserves soft tissues, like mammoths in permafrost