Dinosaurs Around the World · Drawing 31 of 34
How Does a Fossil Form?
Fossils and Science
Buried remains can sometimes become fossils. Sediment covers them; over time, the layers change.
Did you know?
Most living things do not become fossils.
Look together
Find the fossil and the rock layers around it.
An idea to try
Choose a colour for each rock layer.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The palaeontologist observes a fossil in exposed rock beside a river. The scene takes place long after burial; it is not a sequence of stages or an identified real site. Fossilization is rare. Rapid burial can protect some remains; later, erosion can help expose a fossil. The bone’s shape is illustrative and does not identify a species.
Look together: Find the fossil and the rock layers around it. Choose a colour for each rock layer.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified reconstruction. Pose, unpreserved tissues and setting are interpreted. Choose your own colours; animals are not to one scale.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Natural History Museum: How are dinosaur fossils formed?Follow one simplified route from burial to preservation in rock.
Source review: 2026-10-04. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
