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

Tar

On type of Organic Trap is tar, or natural asphalt. Tar is a residue from oil that has seeped to the earth's surface from deposits in the rock below. When an asphalt pit is covered by water, thirsty animals that come to the pit to drink may become trapped in the sticky substance and be preserved. One well-known example of such an area is the La Brea Tar Pits of the Pleistocene Epoch (1.6 million to 10,000 years before present) in Los Angeles, California.