Fossils are remains of a plant or animal that long ago in
prehistoric time or even earlier. Fossils are formed by leaves, shells, skeletons, or
other organic forms that were preserved death of a plant or animal. Tracks or trails
left by moving animals also form fossils.
Fossils help
scientists discover forms of life that existed in the past and how they lived. In this
way scientist can study how life on earth has changed over
time.
Fossils can provide a great deal of information about
the appearance and ways of life of prehistoric organisms. One way of studying fossils
of an animal or plant is by comparing them with living species. Study of Fossil that do
not have close living relatives are more difficult to understand. One way to learn how
such plant and animals lived is to compare their fossils to unrelated living species
with similar shaped structures. The conditions under which fossil creatures died and
were buried is also useful in determining how they lived. Fossils of tracks, trails, or
burrows help scientists to figure out the behaviour of prehistoric animals. The location
of fossils in the(layers of rocks helps to determine when a particular type of plant or
animal lived.
Study of fossils also helps to determine how
the earth's climate and landscape have changed over time. For instance, presence of a
fossil of a particular type of plant in a specific place, and belonging to a specific
time period indicates the that the climate was suitable for existence of that type of
plant.
The nature of differences and similarities in
characteristics of plant and animal life in different parts of the world at different
times also helps to understand the nature of continental drifts that has taken place
over millions of years.
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