Page 40 - Atlas of Creation Volume 1

Where Are Fossils Mostly Discovered?

Fossils are widely dispersed just

about everywhere on Earth. Almost no
fossils are encountered in some types of
rock, but large numbers are found in
others. Geologists have divided rock

types into three main groups:
1. Igneous
2. Sedimentary
3. Metamorphic
The igneous category includes

granite or basalt-type rocks formed by
the cooling of magma present in the
depths of the Earth, or else emitted by

volcanoes in the form of molten lava.
Sedimentary rocks form when sand, silt,
mud, and other small particles or
The world's oldest rocks are in Greenland,
substances carried in water are between 3.9 and 3.8 billion years old.

deposited on top of one another.
Metamorphic rocks are igneous or sedimentary ones that have undergone structural changes due to high
temperature and pressure deep in the Earth.
Few fossils are generally encountered in igneous seams. The rare examples

discovered are fossils that have resulted when a plant or animal gets trapped
inside molten lava. Very few fossils can survive the high temperatures and
pressures that transform sedimentary strata into metamorphic rock. Almost all
fossils are found in sedimentary seams or deposits.

Nearly all sedimentary rocks are formed by substances carried by wind or
water or else from the erosion of still other rocks. Some forms, such as coal, are
made of plant or animal remains. Clastic is the name given to sedimentary rock
formed by minute particles or grains. Sandstone and schist are examples of

such rocks. If there has been dissolution in the substances transported, then
due either to chemical solution or vaporization, "organic" sedimentary beds
form. Examples of such rocks are limestone and dolomite. In general,
sedimentary rock seams are a mixture of clastic and organic seams. Fossils are

The age of rocks are determined by usually seen in shales, schists, sandstone and limestone formed from calcium
the researches made on the decay carbonate.
of radioactive minerals.

How Are Fossils Found and Extracted?

The tools used to collect fossils are simple ones such as those used by geologists:
hammers, trowels, various cutting implements, compasses, brushes and sieves.

Fossils sometimes appear on the surface when eroded out of the soft
rock strata around them. In such cases, it is sufficient to
clean the fossils with a brush. However, fossil
collecting is not usually that easy. The rocks inside
which they are concealed are generally very hard,

and it can take hours to extract a fossil from its rocky
matrix. First, it is important to determine from what
point the rock should be broken. Fracture lines are

38 Atlas of Creation