fossil is the remnant of ancient biological material, whether of plant or animal origin, that has been preserved over the years in the Earth's soil or subsoil.
Fossils are traces of living beings that lived thousands of years ago, in geological times prior to the Cenozoic Era, that is, more than 11,000 years ago.
For the preservation of biological matter and the formation of a fossil, it needs to be preserved thanks to the intervention of some natural components, such as ice, clay or the aridity of the own soil.
For example, a living thing that died millions of years ago can be preserved through the process of petrification, when some trace of its biological structure remains intact in a stone, clay or rock.
In addition to petrification, living beings can also be transformed into fossils through freezing or preserved in amber (a fossilized resin of plant origin).
There are two main types of fossils: o somatofossil, which consists of the fossilized living organisms themselves (leaves, carapaces, bones, teeth, etc.); it's the
trace fossil, which are not actually fossils of living beings, but of traces of their existence (footprints, feces, tracks, etc.). Ichnofossils are important to unravel the way of life of prehistoric animals.According to paleontologists, the oldest fossils ever found on planet Earth date to approximately 4 billion years ago.
In fact, Paleontology is the science dedicated to studying fossils. Paleozoology, in turn, is intended for the exclusive study of fossilized animals.
The study of fossils is essential for deciphering the history and evolution of life on planet Earth.
Even though it was recognized as a science only from the 19th century onwards, the study of fossils had already been carried out for centuries by the Greek philosopher Xenophanes (500 BC. C to 475 a. Ç).
As a pejorative term, fossil can also refer to something considered outdated and old-fashioned, which is regarded as retrograde.
Example: "He dresses in fossil clothes" or "He has a fossil habit".
Fossil fuel
Also called "fossil energy", consists of substances of mineral origin that were produced from the decomposition of living beings that died thousands of years ago.
Oil, natural gas and coal are the main examples of fossil fuels used today.
Fossil fuels are classified as non-renewable energy sources, as they only form with the decomposition of organic matter accumulated over thousands and millions of years.
Learn more about meaning of fossil fuel.