How are petrified fossils made?

• form when minerals replace the structure of an organism

• A process called replacement happens when dissolved minerals often replace the hard parts of animals and plants

• These fossils are not the actual remains of the organisms

• They are actually rocks that are mineral replicas of the organisms

​What makes petrified fossils different from other fossils?

• the cells of the original organism has to have been replaced by minerals

• Occurs using a process called perminalization

• so a record of the internal structures are preserved.

• Other fossils are different because the entire original organism is decomposed leaving behind something like a cavity which is later filled in with minerals

​How to determine the difference between petrified fossils and other fossils

​Interesting facts about petrified fossils

• Petrified wood is considered an antique and is very old

• It is considered a gemstone

• It’s the state gem of Washington, USA

• It is mined like stone