How Are Soft-Bodied Animals Sometimes Preserved?

3 Soft parts of organisms can be preserved in a variety of ways: as carbonaceous compressions (Figure 3A and E); via early (authigenic) mineralization in iron sulfide (pyrite) (Figure 2F and 3B) and apatite (calcium phosphate) (Figure 2C); and by early cementation or entombment, such as in concretions (Figure 3D) or ...

What is soft part preservation?

The process of a fossilisation, especially the preservation of soft parts, is a race against decay. When an organism dies, the cells begin a process of self-destruction. Chemicals called enzymes help recycle material within the cells of the living organism.

How are soft-bodied animals fossilized?

For a soft-bodied animal to be fossilized, its body must be protected from decomposition. The body is usually exposed to air and water with a lot of oxygen, so it decomposes rapidly. The animal is likely to be fossilized only if it is buried soon after it dies (or when it is buried alive!).