Fossils are the best witnesses of the past. Like coins that tell the story of the time they were minted, fossils carry information about extinct species, climate changes, and geological catastrophes.
One of the most remarkable examples is the Archaeopteryx, a fossil discovered in Germany that links dinosaurs and modern birds. This “coin imprint” tells the story of the evolution of wings and flight. Another example is the Fossil Butte site in the United States, where entire ecosystems from the Eocene period have been preserved—fossil imprints there reveal what ancient lakes and their inhabitants looked like.
Fossils also carry stories of catastrophes. At the Chicxulub site in Mexico, for example, evidence has been found of the meteorite that caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Next time you see a fossil, imagine: what story does it tell about a world that no longer exists?
