fossil - remnant of an organism 
 
Types of fossils: 
 
body fossil- part of the organism that has been preserved 
-very rare 
-occurs in extreme conditions like desert, tar pits, or snow 
 
trace fossils- impression left behind by an organism, such as animal tracks, nests, bit marks, or animal poop 
-most common type of fossil 
 
mold fossil - hollow print left behind when animal/plant is buried quickly and then decays 
 
cast fossil - occurs when minerals fill a mold fossil and then harden to become rock 
-the fossil looks identical to the original organism 
 
Other information 
 
fossil fuel - oil, gas, and coal formed from the remains of living organisms 
 
fossil record - the sum total of everything known about fossils