FOSSILS AND FOSSIL TYPES Fossils take some experience in identification of them. The easy-to-see fossil as a perfect specimen does not show up every time you see a rock; in fact, these are rare. There is more than one type of fossil you might encounter. Here are some examples: Body fossil —this is a fossil you get with the entire organism trapped in amber, which is fossilized tree sap. Bones and teeth last longer in any fossil, including these, but body fossils trap the entire insect or other small creature. Figure 15 is what this looks like:
Figure 15.
Molded fossils —these are also called casts. This is the imprint of a shell or bone on a harder rock that then gets layers of sediment dumped on it. A shell might have an internal mold or external mold, depending on how it is laid out. Internal molds are seen when the inside of the shell is seen, while an external mold is when you see the bone or shell as it looked like on the outside. Casts are seen when molds fill with sediment.
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