How could a whole animal become a fossil?

Answer 1

Generally fossils are formed when plants or animals die (or are trapped) and covered with a layer of mud.

This not only protects the dead animal carcass (or plant) from scavengers that may have been lurking nearby, but also retards decomposition. This applies not only to animals, but also fish, moluscs and some insects (where the shells are preserved).

As the layers of sediment (or mud) are layered on top of the dead body the flesh decomposes (in the case of plants the soft tissue).

Over time dissolved minerals in the soil surrounding and above the now skeleton penetrate the bones of the animal and replace the calcium of the bones, this leaves a mineral imprint of the bone, which is now a considered a fossil.

In the case of plants, the imprint of the leaf is left in the surrounding stone.

This process happens over millions of years.

Answer 2

Over a period of time, they neither die or get rotted. sand, soil, and other substance covered them, and eventually they are buried deep under grund. Since the animal stayed there for a looooooong period of time, all of it's skin and organs will be gone by then, and there it is, the fossil, or the bones of the leftover animal...

Answer 3

When organisms die, the soft, fleshy parts of their bodies decompose, leaving only hard parts such as bones or teeth. Sometimes these hard parts get buried quickly in sediment and are preserved while the sediment turns into rock.

Answer 4

An animal bone becomes a fossil when it dies,just like the dinosaurs. Although, animals these days are not consitered fossils (yet). Fossils are really old bones, so animal bones today can't be consitered fossils. The only way things can become fossils is for example a shell getting covered by a hard cover of dirt that dries over the shell. So the shell leaves an imprint in the hardened dirt.

Answer 5

it has to become rotten and be there for a very long time

Answer 6

only the bones of the organism (or shell) well make a fossil because the bones are much more dense and well survive a beating better than flesh.

Answer 7

Only bones and teeth are durable enough

Answer 8

how can a whole animal fossil formed

Answer 9

starfish

Answer 10

the skull