Types of fossil
There are many different types of fossils - it’s not just bones and teeth that fossilise. Watch the video below and discover other types of fossil and then create your own fact cards to help you remember them.
In the clip above, four types of fossil are explained. These are the most common but there are lots of other types of fossils. Use what you have learnt from the video plus the pictures and information below to make ‘Fact Cards’ about trace, resin and mould and cast fossils.
Download and print our template below to help you, or use it for inspiration to make your own.
Fossil Fact Card examples, use our template above to make your own! How many types of fossil can you find?
Mould and Cast Fossils
Ammonites were squid like creatures living in the sea inside spiral shells. They went extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs, approximately 65 million years ago.
Some fossils are called mould and cast fossils. A example of a mould and cast fossil in the GeoBus collection is our ammonite fossils. Watch the video below to discover how an ammonite fossil is made.
A mould and cast fossil is made when water dissolves the buried shell or bone. This will leave behind a hole in the shape of the shell or bone in the surrounding rock. This is a mould.
Over time minerals or sediment fill this mould and create a fossil in the shape of the original bone or shell, known as a cast fossil.
Have a look at the 3D ammonite fossil below and use all the information to create your own fact card on mould and cast fossils.
Trace Fossils
Trace fossils such as footprints are made in a similar way to mould and cast fossils. The footprint creates a hole in the rock which becomes a mould. Sediment then fills the mould to create a trace fossil.
There are lots of different types of trace fossil such a nests, bite marks, footprints and coprolite (droppings!). Have a look at the 3D footprints below and use all the information to create your own fact card on trace fossils.
Resin Fossils
Resin fossils are made when small animals or insects become stuck in sticky tree resin. Over time the resin will harden and become amber.
Have a look at the 3D mosquito in amber model below and use all the information to create your own fact card on resin fossils.
Optional Activity: Make your own fossil!
Now you have learnt a bit about how fossils are made and the different types we find, you can have a go at making your own! Use the instructions in the worksheet below to have a go at making your own trace and body fossils.
You will need: Flour, salt, water, a bowl, pencil/pen and a toy animal/dinosaur.
You can also download and print our ‘Fossil Box’ to store and keep your GeoBus fossil safe.