Dinosaur Fossils — Reading Comprehension

Dinosaur fossils are important clues that help scientists learn about life long ago. A fossil is the remains or imprint of a living thing from the past, usually found in rock. Most dinosaur fossils are found in sedimentary rock, which forms in layers over millions of years.

The process that turns a dinosaur bone into a fossil is called fossilization. After a dinosaur dies, its body might quickly get covered by mud or sand. Over time, the soft parts decay, but the hard bones remain. Minerals in the ground slowly replace the bone, turning it into stone. This is how a fossil is made.

Scientists who study fossils are called paleontologists. They carefully dig up fossils and use special tools to avoid breaking them. By studying fossils, paleontologists learn about what dinosaurs looked like, how big they were, and what they might have eaten. For example, sharp teeth in a fossil skull show the dinosaur was a meat-eater.

Fossils also help us understand how Earth has changed. Some dinosaur fossils are found in places where no dinosaurs live today, like Antarctica. This tells us that the climate and land have changed over millions of years. Fossils of plants found with dinosaur bones show what kind of environment the dinosaurs lived in.

Today, museums display dinosaur fossils so people can see and learn about them. Fossils are used to make models and pictures of what dinosaurs looked like. This helps us imagine a world from long ago and understand how life on Earth has changed.

Interesting Fact: The word "dinosaur" means "terrible lizard," but dinosaurs are not actually lizards. They are a special group of reptiles that lived millions of years ago!

What is a fossil?

Where are most dinosaur fossils found?

Who studies fossils?

What does fossilization do?

Why are fossils found in Antarctica important?

How do fossils help scientists?

Dinosaurs are lizards. True or false?

What is a paleontologist?