Animal Fossil Info: The most common kind of animal fossils are those resulting from the mineralization of shells or bones. Other parts of the animal’s body are usually recycled by decomposers and never make it to the fossil stage. Only about 1/10 of the species living today are made up of tissues and live in habitats that make it possible for fossilization to occur. Animal fossils are only formed in areas with unusually good conditions for preservation that allow the more biodegradable parts to be preserved and represent an accurate depiction of the variety of species alive during that time. (Article: An Introduction to Animal Fossils)
The Record of Fossils Animals: The first animals appeared 600 million years ago during the early Cambrian Period (Article: The Geologic Record of Animal Fossils)
Why are Animal Fossils Rare: It has been estimated that 99% of any plant or animal species that ever existed is extinct now and never left a trace in the fossil record. (Article: The Rarity of Animal Fossils and Formation of Animal Fossils)
Animal Fossils Links Page
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| Skull of South American Ungulate |
Irish Deer- Pleistocene |
Article: Animal Fossil Localities
Sources for Animal Fossil Aricles |
