Discovery & Science / Ages 6+ / 5 min
Fossilization is rare. Most animals decay completely. A few get covered in sediment quickly enough that their bones turn to stone over millions of years.
Water seeps through bone and replaces it slowly with minerals. The shape stays the same; the material becomes rock.
Footprints, eggs, and even poop (called coprolite) can fossilize. These trace fossils tell us about behavior, not just bodies.
Videos matched to this lesson, with a quick discussion question for families.
A kid-sized look at how paleontologists use fossils, tools, and careful observation.
Ask: what clues can a fossil give scientists?
A short biography of Mary Anning and the discoveries that helped paleontology grow.
Ask: why were Mary Anning's discoveries important?
The oldest dinosaur fossils are about 230 million years old, from the Triassic period.
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