[MUSIC] Joan Cartan-Hansen, Host: Did you know that there are two basic categories of fossils?

The first are called body fossils.

These are parts of a living thing's body, Like bones, teeth, shells or leaves.

Body fossils help scientists learn what ancient plants and animals looked like.

Usually, only the hardest parts of an animal survive, but paleontologists have found fossilized fur, feathers and skin.

Plant fossils can sometimes tell scientists more than animal fossils.

Plant fossils can give us a more complete picture of their ancient ecosystem.

That allows scientists to reconstruct the temperature and rainfall of different geologic times.

The second type of fossils are called trace fossils.

Trace fossils aren't body parts, They're clues left behind by living things, Like footprints, bite marks, even fossilized poop called coprolite.

Fossils, either body or trace help us learn more about our past.

For more information about fossils, check out the science trek website.

You'll find it at science trek dot org