A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a plant or animal that lived long ago, usually found in rock. Fossils help scientists learn about ancient life and Earth’s history.
From Latin “fossilis” meaning “dug up,” from “fodere” (to dig). At first it referred to anything dug from the ground, not just ancient bones or imprints.
Fossils are like time‑stamped messages from life forms that died millions of years ago. Without them, almost everything we ‘know’ about dinosaurs and ancient oceans would just be guesswork.
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