The American spelling: the natural process that turns the remains of living things into fossils over millions of years.
From fossilize (American English) + -ation (Latin -atio 'process of'). This is the American variant of the British 'fossilisation'.
Fossilization works through several methods—permineralization (minerals fill empty spaces), replacement (original material is swapped atom-by-atom), and mummification (natural drying)—each telling us different stories about ancient life!
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