fossil
Imprint in stone
A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of ancient life—bones, shells, footprints, or plant impressions—typically found embedded in rock and dating back thousands or millions of years.
Fossils provide crucial evidence for understanding evolution and the history of life on Earth.
Figuratively, fossil describes something outdated or someone who seems stuck in the past: Don't be such a fossil—try the new software.
Fossil fuels like coal and oil formed from decomposed prehistoric organisms.
Hard skeletal tissue
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- shellHard outer covering
- toothCalcified jaw structure
- tuskExtended external tooth
scale · feather · leaf · footprint · trackway · burrow · coprolite · fragment
Solidified or fear-paralyzed
- mineralizedInfused with inorganic compounds
- silicifiedReplaced with quartz
- opalizedConverted to precious silica
- calcifiedHardened by calcium deposits
amber · impression · mold · cast · imprint · trace · preserved · encased
Extinct Mesozoic reptile
- trilobiteExtinct segmented marine arthropod
- mammothExtinct elephant with curved tusks
- archaeopteryxEarly feathered dinosaur genus
- ichthyosaurMesozoic ocean-dwelling reptile
plesiosaur · ammonite · pterosaur · megalodon · paleontologist · excavation · dig · specimen
No longer in use
- relicPreserved ancient object
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- obsoleteNo longer in use
old-fashioned · behind the times · fogy · stick-in-the-mud · anachronism · has-been · holdover · throwback
No longer existing
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- descentDownward slope or lineage
lineage · phylogeny · cladistics · transitional · missing link · speciation · adaptation · natural selection
Formed from deposited material
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- stratumHorizontal layer of material
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- shaleCompacted clay sediment
sandstone · bedrock · outcrop · formation · carbon-dating · radiometric · Jurassic · Cretaceous
Combustible sedimentary rock
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- hydrocarbonAll-carbon-and-hydrogen compound
peat · crude · bitumen · shale oil · tar sands · nonrenewable · combustion · carbon
bone
Hard skeletal tissue
tusk · scale · feather · leaf · footprint · trackway · burrow · coprolite · fragment · shard
petrified
Solidified or fear-paralyzed
- mineralizedInfused with inorganic compounds
- silicifiedReplaced with quartz
- opalizedConverted to precious silica
calcified · amber · impression · mold · cast · imprint · trace · preserved · encased · embedded
dinosaur
Extinct Mesozoic reptile
- trilobiteExtinct segmented marine arthropod
- mammothExtinct elephant with curved tusks
- archaeopteryxEarly feathered dinosaur genus
ichthyosaur · plesiosaur · ammonite · pterosaur · megalodon · paleontologist · excavation · dig · specimen · skeleton
outdated
No longer in use
- relicPreserved ancient object
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
- antiquatedOld and outdated
obsolete · old-fashioned · behind the times · fogy · stick-in-the-mud · anachronism · has-been · holdover · throwback
extinct
No longer existing
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- ancestralOf one's forebears
descent · lineage · phylogeny · cladistics · transitional · missing link · speciation · adaptation · natural selection · common ancestor
sedimentary
Formed from deposited material
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- stratumHorizontal layer of material
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
shale · sandstone · bedrock · outcrop · formation · carbon-dating · radiometric · Jurassic · Cretaceous · Triassic
coal
Combustible sedimentary rock
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
hydrocarbon · peat · crude · bitumen · shale oil · tar sands · nonrenewable · combustion · carbon · energy
- Earthearth, Earth, globe, continent, axis
- earth science referencesgeology, volcano, earthquake, mineral, rock
- geologybedrock, fault lines, faults, rock, basalt
- prehistorystone tools, Neolithic, Stone Age, caveman, cavemen
- beachcombingseashell, shells, driftwood, sea glass, sand dollar
- fossilsdinosaur bones, ammonite, amber, ammonites, brachiopod
fossiltrendsetter
One who initiates styles
progressive · innovator · modernist · hipster · radical
fossilrenewable
Capable of restoration
sustainable · solar · green energy · clean energy · biofuel
- fossil fuelsCombustible prehistoric organic deposits
- fossil discoveryLocating preserved ancient organisms
- dinosaur fossilsPreserved prehistoric reptile remains
- fossil huntersThose seeking petrified remains
- fossil recordRemains documenting prehistoric life
- fossil huntingSeeking preserved ancient organisms
fossils, fossilized, fossil fuel, fossilize, fossilization, fossilised, fossil fuels, fossilizing, fossilizes