We’ve been jumping head-first into dino tracks, giant insects, and ancient party hat wearing squid relatives, but let’s take a step back. What actually is a fossil?
The word “fossil” comes from the Latin fossilis, meaning dug up. Which makes sense, as most fossils spend thousands (or more often millions) of years buried and preserved in rock until we come along and discover them.
There are a few main types with different sub categories:
Body fossils – bones, teeth, shells, wood.
Trace fossils – footprints, burrows, even fossil poo (called coprolite ).
Impressions & casts – which is usually a subclass of body fossils, preserving the shape of the organism itself.
Molecular fossils – chemical leftovers scientists use as clues.
Why do we care? Well, because fossils are time capsules. They tell us who lived where, who ate whom, how Earth itself has changed, and how life has adapted to the new challenges that change brought. Without them, we’d never have pieced together the history of life!
Some of the earliest known references to fossils come from very different parts of the world: over 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Xenophanes noticed seashells embedded in rocks far inland and realised the land must once have been underwater. Meanwhile in ancient China, people came across fossilized bones and believed they were the remains of dragons — these “dragon bones” were even ground up for traditional medicines.
Fun fact: Not every bone or shell makes it into the fossil record. For fossilisation to happen, the remains need just the right conditions — like being buried quickly and protected from decay. That’s why fossils are actually rarer than you might think!
