1. Trace fossils can take a number of forms. One
of the most common and recognizable are
preserved footprints. However, trace fossils
can also include anything that displays a
creature's activity, such as burrows made by
tunneling animals; the nests of dinosaurs and
birds, including any fossilized egg shells; animal
droppings; bite marks; holes left by root
bulbs, and any trails lefts by marine creatures.
Trace fossils show the evidence of how an
animal or plant interacted with its
environment. They differ from body fossils--
which are the preserved remains of the
physical parts of an organism, such as bones
and teeth. For example, dinosaur footprints
are classed as trace fossils. Trace fossils can be
useful in paleontology--the study of prehistoric
remains. They offer clues as to how an animal
behaved.