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Fossil Hunting Glossary

I’ll be expanding this list of definitions as we go. If there’s any term you would like to see defined, just drop a note in the comments below:

• Fossil: The preserved remains or traces of an ancient organism.
• Paleontology: The scientific study of prehistoric life, including fossils.
• Sedimentary Rock: A rock formed from the accumulation of sediments, such as sand, mud, and shells.
• Strata: Layers of rock, often formed over millions of years.
• Fossil Hunting: The activity of searching for and collecting fossils.
• Matrix: The rock surrounding a fossil.
• Mold: A type of fossil that is an imprint of the original organism.
• Cast: A type of fossil that is a replica of the original organism, formed when a mold is filled with minerals.
• Petrified Fossil: A fossil in which the original organic material has been replaced by minerals.
• Trace Fossil: Evidence of the activity of an ancient organism, such as footprints, burrows, or coprolites (fossilized feces).
• Index Fossil: A fossil that is characteristic of a particular geologic time period and can be used to date other rocks and fossils.
• Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers and their relationships.
• Paleozoic Era: A geologic era that lasted from about 541 million to 252 million years ago.
• Mesozoic Era: A geologic era that lasted from about 252 million to 66 million years ago.
• Cenozoic Era: The current geologic era, which began about 66 million years ago.