Introduction: Types of Fossils

How do we know what plants and animals lived on the Earth millions of years ago? Scientists use fossils to help them understand life long, long ago. Fossils are the hardened remains or traces of an organism that lived long ago. Fossils are found in rocks that formed over time from layers of dirt, silt, and sand. Scientists who study fossils are called paleontologists. Fossils can provide evidence about what plants and animals were like long ago. They give us information about the environment at that time, too!

Click on the image to learn more about fossils.