The Process of Forming Dinosaur Fossils: Why Are They Rarely Found?

KOMPAS.com – Before humans existed and created civilization like today, the world was inhabited by dinosaurs.

But an intriguing question arises. If dinosaurs lived on Earth millions of years ago, why is evidence of their existence rarely found on this planet?

Also read: Researchers Suspect Early Dinosaur Eggs Had Rough Shells

Quoting IFL Science, Saturday (25/11/2023) dinosaur fossils are actually found on all continents.

It’s just that the number of discoveries is not massive and is not evenly distributed from one place to another.

This is because the fossilization process rarely occurs and only forms in certain circumstances.

The process of forming fossils

When an animal dies, in order to become a fossil, the animal’s body needs to be buried by sediment before being covered by more layers of sediment.

As pressure increases, the bodies of dead animals are compressed to form sedimentary rock.

During the process, minerals seep into the encased animal bones and turn them into stone.

Because it requires the accumulation of sediment over animal carcasses, almost all fossils found are in the sea, sandy places, and mud. Dinosaurs that die on land rarely become fossils.

“Most of the dinosaur fossils we find come from animals that lived near lakes or rivers,” said David Button, a dinosaur researcher at the Natural History Museum.

Also read: Is it true that fossil fuels come from dinosaurs?

Some died not long before the area was flooded and covered the remains with mud. While others were washed into the river due to heavy rain.

So why are not many fossils found because of the process of producing a fossil itself so it is very likely that there are many species that have not been discovered.

“We don’t know much about dinosaurs that lived in forest or mountain environments. Fossils are very unlikely to have formed in those situations,” added Button.

A 2006 study estimated that about 71 percent of dinosaurs are still unknown.

In theory, some mountain dinosaurs could have been swept from the mountains to riverbeds where fossilization occurred, but this is not a common occurrence. As a result, we know little about their unique adaptations.

“While the animals in this area may have had relatives in the lowlands, it is very likely that there were small groups that specialized in environments where they were unlikely to fossilize,” said New York Institute of Technology paleontologist Karen Poole.

In short, dinosaurs are found everywhere, but only become fossils under the right conditions.

Also read: How Many Dinosaur Fossils Haven’t Been Found?

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2023-11-30 01:00:00
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