Geologic Processes of Evolution

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Carbonization
Petrifaction
Replacement
Recrystallization
Soft-Tissue Preservation
Mummification
Organic Traps
Tar
Peat Moss

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Fossilization Process

Soft-Tissue Preservation

The soft tissues of animals are preserved only under extremely unusual conditions, and the preserved tissue usually lasts for only a short period of geological time. In the Siberian permafrost (earth that remains frozen year-round), for example, entire mammoths have been preserved in ice for thousands of years. The remains of the mammoths' last meals have sometimes been preserved in the stomachs, allowing paleontologists to study the animals' diet.