What are fossils?
Fossils are remains of plants, animals or insects that lived a very long time ago. Thanks to fossils we know that giant animals like dinosaurs used to live on Earth. We even know what type of food they used to eat, isn’t that amazing?
Where are fossils found?
Fossils have been found on every continent in the world, even in Antarctica. It is not only scientists that find fossils, anyone can find them! People have found them in their gardens and by the sea. The youngest person to ever find a fossil was only three years old! So keep your eyes open because the next person to find a fossil might be you…
Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock but some have been found in mud or gravel. The weather helps too. When rocks are worn away by wind and water they can bring the fossils up to the surface.
Interesting facts about fossils
- A long time ago in China, they used to think dinosaur fossils were dragon bones!
- Thanks to fossils we now know that a long time ago most of the Earth was covered in water.
- The largest fossil ever found was a tree in Thailand, it was over 72 metres tall.
- Some dinosaur fossils have been found with feathers.
- The largest dinosaur fossil ever found was the Argentinosaurus because it was found in Argentina. It was nearly 34m long!
