Random Facts about Fossils

  • Fossils are almost always found in sedimentary (layered) rock. Each layer is from a slightly different time period. This way, scientists can tell what each time period was like from the fossils and rock types from each layer.
  • Fossils are often found flattened, because the immense pressure of the rock layers usually crushes the tissue. Sometimes, the bones are strong enough to withstand the weight of the rock layer, and still remain three-dimensional.
  • Sometimes the real bone is found with the fossil!
  • Real tissue from the organism can be found with the fossil. Once a Tyrannosaurus Rex leg bone was cut in half to be transported to a museum. Inside, the scientists found preserved bone marrow!
  • A dinosaur named Sinosauropteryx was found with many preserved feathers. A scientist named Mike Benton and his team figured out that by using a microscope to examine the shape of the melanin, (what the feathers are made of) he found out the feathers were once ginger colored! This information will help other paleontologists determine the colors and skin patterns of other dinosaurs in the future.