How Fossils Form
Follow the journey of a dinosaur through time to see how it becomes a fossil.
Stage 1: Death & Deposition. An organism dies and its remains are left on the ground or underwater. For a fossil to form, the remains must be covered quickly to protect them from scavengers and decay.
Stage 2: Sedimentation. Over time, the organism is buried by deep layers of mud, sand, and silt. These layers (sediment) protect the remains from being completely destroyed.
Stage 3: Mineralization. Water seeps through the sediment, carrying minerals. The soft parts of the body rot away, but the minerals fill the tiny holes in the bones, eventually turning them into solid stone.
Stage 4: Lithification. Over millions of years, the immense weight and pressure of the upper layers turn the bottom layers of sediment into solid rock. The fossil is now safely locked inside.
Stage 5: Uplift & Discovery. Earth’s movement and erosion (wind/rain) eventually bring the rock layers back to the surface. A paleontologist finds the fossil and carefully digs it up!
