We call fossil to that rest of an organic being already dead and that is petrified in certain layers of the earth's surface.
For example, when we speak of a fossil, we are referring to an organism that is already extinct.
Rest of a dead organic being that is petrified on earth
In any case, this generality of fossils or fossil remains should include not only those hard petrified parts but also those remains without alterations such as: molds, bio-constructions, traces of activity, which have been left in a specific place such as be housing, food, rest, among others.
Meanwhile, such remains, conserved in sedimentary rocks, usually appear with transformations in their composition or diagenesis, or deformations, dynamic metamorphism, more or less important.
Under normal conditions, both plants and animals undergo a decomposition process as a consequence of the action of decomposing microorganisms, however, these remains, being buried among the rocks, are protected against the action of the aforementioned organisms and isolated from oxygen. , a situation that contributes to its preservation.
In any case, the soft parts are the ones that are lost first, prevailing the hard ones like the bones, which are the ones that are mostly found.
Among the most found and known fossils are the remains of animal skeletons and their carbonaceous impressions on plants.
Generally, they are partially found, that is, not the entire organism, with very few exceptions, such is the case of the Siberian mammoth, which, because it is buried precisely in the Siberian ice, has presented an astonishing conservation and which of course contributed widely. so that you can learn more about the evolution of the species.
Marine and lacustrine animals are those that have the greatest possibilities when it comes to undergoing the fossilization process, since falling to the bottom of the waters they can remain outside the attacks of predators.
Paleontology, the discipline that studies fossils and allows us to learn more about our ancestors and other species that populated our world
The science that deals with the study of fossil remains is Paleontology.
It should be noted that the contribution of these remains is truly incalculable, since it is what has allowed us through the centuries to know more and more about human beings, animal species, and everything that is part of the world that we inhabit.
Fossils, the various finds that are carried out through paleontology and archeology and led by important researchers in these areas allow us to know for sure the forms of life that existed in antiquity, their behaviors, uses and customs, diet and body characteristics, among other issues.
Although it is possible to find fossil remains in any environment and place, there are some regions of the earth that are characterized by the presence of them as a consequence of the special characteristics that they show and that has allowed them to be preserved, then, towards these spaces they go mostly searches and investigative missions.
The knowledge and prior study available to paleontologists is relevant and very important because the evidence depends on them that in certain parts of the world these remains can be found that allow us to expand the knowledge of the species that preceded us.
We must also say that many times organic matter is lost over time, now well. Certain species know how to leave traces, for example, the pores of the bones of some animals or prehistoric creatures incorporated materials that, when solidified, leave shapes that allow them to account for their size, their appearance, among other issues.
It is also plausible that they have left their mark on the rocks, such as an impression of the living being that passed through them and this also facilitates their study and recognition.
However, not all fossil remains are easy to observe and study, there are some that can only be visualized with instruments such as the microscope.
The reconstruction of history is possible thanks to these findings by experts, who study them conscientiously for a long time, then draw conclusions that allow us to determine what life was like in remote times and the role that these species played on the planet.
On the other hand, in ordinary language, the word fossil is used to indicate something that is old or outdated. “That disco is for fossils, there is no one under forty.”
