A fossil is the rocky shape of a plant or animal that lived a very, very long time ago — even before people!
Some dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. So how do we know they were ever here? Because they left fossils in the rock for us to find.
A dinosaur skeleton turned to stone.
Let's discover the amazing journey of how a fossil forms. Tap Next to begin! 👉
Imagine a dinosaur living near a river. One day it dies, and its body falls to the ground or into the water.
Tap each part below to find out what happens next. 👇
Tip: usually only the hard parts become fossils.
For a fossil to form, the bones must be covered up quickly by sand and mud. This protects them from wind, rain and hungry animals.
Tap the button to drop layers of mud and bury the bones. Bury them all the way! 🪣
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More and more layers pile on top over thousands of years. The weight squeezes the mud and sand so hard that it turns into solid rock.
Drag the slider to let time pass and watch the mud harden into rock. ⏳
Slide all the way to turn the mud into hard rock!
Water trickles through the rock carrying tiny bits of minerals (natural stone material). Bit by bit, minerals fill and replace the bone — so the bone slowly turns to stone!
Tap the bone again and again to add minerals, until it is fully turned to stone. 💎
Keep tapping — the bone is turning to colourful stone!
After millions of years, wind and rain slowly wear the top rock away (this is called erosion), or scientists dig down. Then — surprise! — the fossil appears.
You're the scientist! Tap the rock squares to brush them away and uncover the hidden fossil. 🧹
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Tap the steps in the right order, from first (1) to last (5). If you pick a wrong one, just try again! 🧩
Next, pick step 1.
Now you know the amazing 5-step journey of how a fossil forms:
Remember: only the hard parts like bones, teeth and shells usually become fossils — and it takes a very long time. 🌍
Great work, fossil hunter! 🦕✨