How are fossils recovered from rocks?
This segment explains how fossils are found within rocks, and the various ways in which they are recovered and prepared for scientific study. Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks that have been formed by the consolidation of soft sediment such as sand and mud. Fossils are rarely, if ever, found in igneous rocks that have solidified from a molten state, or in metamorphic rocks that have undergone intense pressure and heat. To find fossils, it is necessary to find places where suitable rocks are exposed, such as natural outcrops in cliffs, river banks or the sides of hills, or man-made exposures in quarries, road cuttings or building excavations. The type of fossils found will depend on the age of the rocks and on the environment in which they were deposited; for example, dinosaurs are not found in rocks more than about 235 million years old or less than 65 million years old, and fossils of marine animals or plants are obviously not found in rocks which have been deposited in fres
