Stratigraphy – Fossil Horses 75 million years ago

Animal remains are most likely to be

fossilized if their hard parts are covered by
layers of sediments soon after death. With
time and pressure, these sediments, such as
sand, plant debris, or ash, become
compressed into rock. Therefore, fossils are
found in sedimentary rock, like sandstone,
shale, limestone and coal.

Igneous rock, like granite and basalt, is

formed by molten rock erupting from deep
Pressure compacts the loose sandy
within the earth. Metamorphic rock, such
sediments into hard sandstone. Dinosaurs
as marble, is formed by tremendous heat
now live, and die, in the locality. Like the
and pressure.
scallops before them, their bodies are
Fossils are not usually found in either
covered by sand.
igneous or metamorphic rocks.

50 million years ago

Let’s look at a hypothetical fossil locality
to see this process in action.
100 million years ago

There is a tremendous volcanic eruption in

the area. The ash thickly covers the land,
and for a while the land cannot support
much life.
Scallops and other invertebrates inhabit the
sea in this area. When they die, they are
covered by sand that settles on them.

1/2
20 million years ago
A Parahippus, a 3-toed horse common at
the time, dies at the locality. Like the other
creatures before it, its body is buried in
sand and sediments by wave action.
3 million years ago
The massive force of an earthquake causes
layers of sediments to tilt and push upward.
Today
Forces of erosion, such as water moving
against rock for millions of years, gradually
wears away the land surface and a few of
the rock layers beneath it. The fossilized
bones of the horse, hidden for millions of
years, are exposed above the ground.
2/2