Why Are Only A Few Fossils Found In Marble

The order the successions of sedimentary rocks based on their paleontological content.

Why are only a few fossils found in marble.

The heat and pressure required to change or metamorphose rocks usually destroys any fossils. Fossils rarely occur in metamorphic or igneous rocks. These are bones shells and marks in the stones. Fossil in marble fossil in marble experiment level elementary introduction.

Fossils are inherently delicate things and therefore precious little would withstand the conditions that are required to create marble and therefore marble hardly ever contains fossils as a. The criteria of fossil dating is based on biostratigraphy i e. Fossils are some living things remains which lived long time ago and are extinct now. In its pure form marble is a white stone with a crystalline and sugary appearance consisting of calcium carbonate caco 3 usually marble contains other minerals including quartz graphite pyrite and iron oxides these minerals can give marble a pink brown gray green or variegated coloration.

Traces of fossils are sometimes found in metamorphic rocks deriving from metamorphic processes of low intensity on sedimentary rocks. However special circumstances do happen. But small fossil fusulina is easy to see in the marble around you. Recrystallization obscures the original fossils and sedimentary structures of the limestone.

It also occurs without forming foliation which normally is found in rocks that are altered by the directed pressure of a convergent plate boundary. For example fossilized shells and bacteria have been found in marble which is metamorphosed limestone.