Understanding the formation of fossils in nature (1)

How did fossils become so valuable?

Archeology is a highly developed industry and has been focused for a long time because people always want to explore the past. They explore ancient ruins, tombs, antiques, terrain and an indispensable part of fossils. In past exploration, fossils are an extremely important part because they reflect the forms of life that once existed in this world. In this article we will explore some fossil problems.

Basically, by studying fossils, you can explore such questions: What are the first life forms on our planet? Where do they come from? What happens to them? How does life on earth change over time? How does the earth's climate change over time? How do new life forms evolve and are they related to past species? These questions are complex and it took us years to study them to solve the planet's historical problem. Fossils are one of the best sources of information that can profoundly clarify some of the above complex questions.

Conditions formed

Fossils are only formed in very specific conditions, which can be carbonized, frozen, in stone or encased in a substance such as plastic or amber. But these conditions are not easy to obtain everywhere and every time. For this reason, only a small fraction of the organisms that existed on Earth appeared in fossil samples. Not to mention the majority of fossil models are still imperfect, but there are modern programs to recreate but they are not completely real. So while research is very important, it is also very difficult and requires a lot of effort.

The knowledge of fossils is extensive and requires knowledge of geology, first we will learn a little about the geology of the earth and its effects on fossil formation. The Earth moves regularly, slowly and there are separate continents, internal movements within. All of these activities will impact the new layer of rock covering the old surface. This is why some rocks have layers, appear vertical stripes or swirls instead of horizontal layers. It is also the reason why rocks of the same age can be found in many different parts of the world (due to the movement of the earth's surface that has geologically created from one place to another). We can see two important points to understand fossils. One is sedimentary rock that forms the surface of the earth. Secondly, the movement of the Earth has a great impact on where sedimentary rocks appear as well as how the organisms are affected during the continental movement.

Despite these exceptions, most fossils form in sedimentary rocks. Whether an organism can form fossil remains is determined by many factors, but there are three most basic factors:

Creatures must have hard-to-decompose hard parts such as bones, teeth and wood . then be in an extremely favorable condition even if soft creatures such as insects or jellyfish are also available. Can form formation on fossils.

Organisms that die must be protected from destructive effects , if their body parts are crushed or corroded, the creature's ability to form fossils cannot be achieved.

Organisms need to be buried and covered with materials that can help it against harsh conditions that can cause it to decay. The bodies of marine creatures are often very easy to form fossils. Because dead marine life after settling on the seabed is covered with sand, sand in geologic ages will then turn into limestone or schist, small sediment deposits. It is not easy to harm the body of the creature.

Here we will learn some familiar fossils.

Sedimentary rock fossils

Most of the dinosaur skeletons you see in the museum exist in sedimentary rocks. Fossils formed when a dinosaur died in an area with many sediment movements, such as oceans, rivers and lakes. One of these places is the bottom - the deepest part of the water area. Sediment will quickly cover the dinosaur, providing its body with some protection from the environment. The software of the animal eventually decomposes, but in the end, the hardware components of minerals, calcium and inorganic substances (bones, teeth, claws) will still exist with relatively similar shape. Under certain conditions, the body can fossilize.

If there are minerals such as sillic oxide that fill the void, it will cast into a stone creature similar to the previous animal. This can happen with other traces, such as cavities and tunnels. Some other imperfect fossils include coprolites (fossils), teeth marks on bones or wood, nests. Sediments can even preserve plant traces. Traces of plants can be present in hard sediments or become petrified wood after going through the same process as fossil dinosaur bones. The sedimentary fossil is the most common and is present everywhere on earth.

Fossils in some other form

In addition to sedimentary rocks, there are several other ways fossils exist. In fact, the most beautiful fossils found in the world are popular in these forms and not sediments. Please refer to this special form of fossil.

If the animal dies in a dry area like in a cave, it can be pressed and dried. Fossils of this type are called mummified fossils (although they do not have in common with embalming Egyptian style). Just losing organic matter, water and everything that can be used as a medium for bacteria is that these fossils can be preserved for a long time and retain some soft tissue like shells and wings. But the bigger the animals, the harder it is to become fossils in this form. Mainly crustaceans, insects.

Another form of fossil is freezing . Ice temperature can slow the rate at which bacteria destroy the body. Ice can also prevent predators. Researchers have discovered that mammoth bodies are well preserved in icy areas and have great research value. In general, this form of fossil is also very good but does not have the same durability as dry fossils. In addition, fossils in ice are also quite rare.

Another form is when the animal is covered with paraffin or tar . Kerosene and waxes help protect soft tissue, plastic substances and protect the hardware. A typical example in this method is the plants and animals preserved in a museum in Los Angeles (USA). Some of the specimens here have been excavated from tar pits and almost all of them are only discolored by absorbing tar through pores. Another ingredient that can be used for preservation is peat.

And the type of fossil that is considered to be a beautiful masterpiece is kind of in amber . Today, we still consider them as expensive decorations and have great exchange value. The amber name, succinum, is the resin of conifers, mainly the ancient Pityoxylon succinifer Kauss, now extinct. Amber itself is also a form of animal fossils . Amber is often in the form of hard plastic blocks or stalactites with large blocks of small irregular, transparent look with very beautiful color. Animals in the amber mass are usually some insects that live near the tree.

In general, all forms of fossils have a certain importance, helping archaeologists to study solving many mysterious questions. Read the next section on how scientists find and recover fossils.