In the process of permineralization, what happens to the hard parts of the organism?
Answer
Groundwater minerals precipitate into and fill the porous spaces, hardening the original structure.
Permineralization acts like a microscopic concrete filling, where dissolved minerals solidify within the existing structure, significantly increasing the durability of the remains.
Related Questions
What critical condition must an organism meet immediately after death to have a chance at fossilization?What type of environment is ideal for the rapid burial necessary for early fossilization?In the process of permineralization, what happens to the hard parts of the organism?How does the process of replacement differ from permineralization?What is the result when an encased organism dissolves completely, leaving behind an empty void shaped like the original?What chemical transformation leaves behind a thin, dark film of nearly pure carbon for soft-bodied organisms?In which type of rock are fossils rarely preserved, and why?What does the Principle of Superposition state regarding undisturbed rock layers?If a fossil cannot be dated directly, how is its age typically bracketed using absolute dating methods?What usually causes a fossil to appear cleanly split into two halves across a bedding plane after excavation?