How do the remains of long dead animals turn into fossils and why do they become rock-like?

Question

How do the remains of long dead animals turn into fossils and why do they become rock-like?

In: 1

Answer 1

Most of the time, it’s not actually the organism becoming rock. The organism dies on a soft sediment, makes and impression, and gets covered with more sediment. The organism then slowly decomposes until there is notice left but and imprint of that the animal looks like. That imprint is then filled in with new sediment, and hardens, resulting in the shape of the organism being preserved.