Fossil Type
Body Fossils
Body fossils are the preserved remains of an organism's actual body parts — bones, shells, teeth, leaves, and sometimes even soft tissues. They are the most recognizable type of fossil and provide direct evidence of an organism's anatomy. Body fossils range from tiny microfossils visible only under a microscope to complete dinosaur skeletons spanning dozens of meters.
Formation
How Body Fossils Form
Body fossils form when an organism's hard parts (bones, shells, exoskeletons) are buried quickly in sediment before decomposition can destroy them. Over millions of years, mineral-rich groundwater percolates through the sediment, replacing original biological material molecule by molecule with minerals like calcite, silica, or pyrite — a process called permineralization. In exceptional cases, soft tissues like skin, feathers, or internal organs can be preserved through rapid burial in anoxic (oxygen-free) environments.
Field Guide
How to Identify Body Fossils
- 1Look for recognizable anatomical structures — bones, shells, teeth
- 2Often show detailed surface texture (growth lines, pores, sutures)
- 3May be heavier than expected due to mineral replacement
- 4Color often differs from surrounding rock (darker or lighter)
Examples
Common Examples
Dinosaur bones, trilobite exoskeletons, ammonite shells, fossil leaves, petrified wood, shark teeth, brachiopod shells.
Collection
Body Fossils in the Codex (70)
Ambulocetus
paleogene
Andrewsarchus
paleogene
Ankylosaurus
Cretaceous
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Anomalocaris canadensis (Burgess Shale)
Cambrian
Australopithecus
Neogene
Basilosaurus
paleogene
Bothriolepis
devonian
Carnotaurus
Cretaceous
Cave Bear
quaternary
Coelophysis
triassic
Compsognathus
Jurassic
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Crinoid (Sea lily) slab
Mississippian
Darwinius (Ida)
paleogene
Deinonychus
cretaceous
Deinotherium
neogene
Dimetrodon
Permian
Diplodocus
Jurassic
Dire Wolf
quaternary
Dodo
quaternary
Edaphosaurus
Permian
Edmontosaurus
Cretaceous
Eoraptor
Triassic
Eudimorphodon
Triassic
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Eurypterid (Sea scorpion)
Ordovician - Permian (most diverse in Silurian and Devonian)
Glyptodon
quaternary
Gorgonops
Permian
Graptolite
Ordovician, Silurian (primarily)
Homo erectus
quaternary
Hylonomus
Carboniferous
Hyracotherium
paleogene
Ichthyostega
Devonian
Iguanodon
Cretaceous
Insect in amber
Eocene
Irish Elk
quaternary
Isotelus
ordovician
Lystrosaurus
Late Permian to Early Triassic
Maiasaura
Cretaceous
Megalodon
neogene
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Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) tooth
Miocene, Pliocene
Megalosaurus
jurassic
Megatherium
quaternary
Mesosaurus
permian
Mosasaurus
Cretaceous
Nothosaurus
Triassic
Olenoides
Cambrian
Oviraptor
Cretaceous
Pachycephalosaurus
cretaceous
Paraceratherium
neogene
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Patagotitan mayorum (Femur)
Late Cretaceous
Plateosaurus
triassic
Plesiosaur
Jurassic
Postosuchus
triassic
Protoceratops
Cretaceous
Pteranodon
Cretaceous
Pterodactylus
Jurassic
Quetzalcoatlus
Cretaceous
Redlichia
cambrian
Rhamphorhynchus
Jurassic
Shonisaurus
triassic
Smilodon
quaternary
Spinosaurus
Cretaceous
Stegosaurus
jurassic
Tanystropheus longobardicus
Middle Triassic
Thylacosmilus
neogene
Tiktaalik
Devonian
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Trilobite (Phacops rana)
Devonian
Uintatherium
paleogene
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Ursus spelaeus (Cave Bear)
Pleistocene
Woolly Mammoth
quaternary
Woolly Rhinoceros
quaternary