Fossils in utah

Types of FossilsDifferent kinds of fossils are created different ways!Preserved organismsMineral replacementImpression fossils

What is a preserved organism?Fossils frozen in timeThe soft body parts are preserved as well as the hard partsDecay of the plant or animal is minimal How do we preserve things in our homes?

Preserved Organisms

I am petrified in amber! Frozen mammoth preserved by ice in Siberia!

Mineral ReplacementHard parts of an animal decay slowly- like bones, and clawswhen animal is buried water seeps through the ground, through the bone. The seeping water dissolves the bone, and minerals in the water replace the bone one cell at a time. This eventually becomes stone.

When mineral replacement occurs it is also called petrification

Mineral Replacement

The Utahraptor found at Dalton Wells Quarry in east-central Utah, near Moab!

The minerals that petrified this ammonite fossil are all different and make it different colors.

Impression FossilsThese fossils can show detailed outlines of organisms like thin plants or small animals, which die in sediment. As they decay, they leave a carbon deposit that shows as a dark print of the organism Impression fossils also include tracks

Impression Fossils

Dinosaur footprint in sandstone found in UTAH!Trilobite Impression fossil. See how it is 3 dimensional? Can you tell the fossil is darker then the gray stone?