How Do Dinosaur Bones Last So Long

How do dinosaur bones last so long?

If an animal is buried in mud, sand, or silt immediately after death, its flesh and skin will rot but the bones will not. Gradually, more layers of mud, sand, or silt fall on top, resulting in strong pressure below It hardens the bones like stones. This process takes millions of years. Fossils of original remains are rare Most duplicate fossils have been found Besides mold fossils, petrified fossils have also been found.

After being buried under the soil for a long time, the bones rot, and when they mix, mold-like holes are formed Brittle rock accumulates in the mold and keeps the shape of the mold for a long time These fossils can be found for digging, and removing the brittle rock. L name mold fossils. Dinosaur footprints found in dried-up rivers in Texas are mold fossils.

If solid rock forms a replica of the bone in this mold, it will be a replica fossil Most dinosaur fossils are replicas, not actual bones Besides, if the remains are buried in the ground and turned into rock, it is a petrified fossil

Dinosaur fossils are very rare Their appearance was 23.323 million years ago and extinction 6.6 million years ago Many species of dinosaurs appeared in a span of about 16 million years Only 1000 species of fossils have been found in it so far.

No dinosaur fossil is complete. Fossils like vertebrae, some leg bones, some neck bones, some chest-abdominal bones, some skin, and some teeth have been found. Not one has a complete body skeleton There are few skeletons of almost complete bodies Furthermore, humans make replicas of dinosaur skeletons, not fossils, by mimicking the almost complete skeletons of close relatives.