Why Do Fossils of Sea Creatures Turn Up in Some Deserts?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do fossils of sea creatures turn up in some deserts?

The Big Idea

Parts of some deserts used to lie under warm, shallow seas millions of years ago! Shells and sea animals sank into the mud, and the mud hardened into rock. Later the sea went away and left the fossils behind.

A Warm Sea

Step one: a warm, shallow sea. Millions of years ago, some of today's desert land was covered by sea water. Fish, shellfish, and other sea animals lived there.

Mud Turns to Rock

Step two: shells get buried. When sea animals' shells sank, they were covered in mud. Over a very long time, the mud hardened into rock with the shells inside.

The Land Lifts

Step three: the land lifts. Slowly the land rose up and the sea went away. In dry weather, wind and rain wear the rock and keep the fossils out in the open.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! A warm sea once covered the land. Shells and bones sank into the mud. The mud hardened into stone. Now scientists can walk where fish once swam. What a time machine!

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Some desert hills are made almost entirely of old seashells. Those shells are millions of years old. Scientists can learn how the ancient sea looked from them. Look, but do not take fossils from parks, and ask a grown-up first.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, look at a photo of a fossil shell. Then press a real shell into modeling clay. Take it out and see the imprint it leaves. You just made your own fossil mold!

Outro

Some deserts were once the bottom of a warm sea. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!