What is the difference between petrified and replacement fossil?

Answer 1

Petrified fossils occur when organic material, such as wood, transforms into stone through a process called permineralization, where minerals infiltrate the cells and replace the original organic material. In contrast, replacement fossils form when the original material is dissolved and replaced by minerals, resulting in a replica of the original structure. While both processes involve mineralization, petrified fossils maintain some original structure, whereas replacement fossils may be more complete replicas of the original organism.