What are Fossils?
The word fossil originates from the latin fossus meaning "(having been) dug up."
A fossil is a preserved remain or trace of a living organism such as an animal or a plant. Fossils are studied in the science of paleontology.
While bigger fossils (such as dinosaurs) are getting the most attention you should know that a fossil can also be microscopic in size (a single cell).
Only in rare cases the soft tissues are preserved. Most of the discovered fossils contain small portions of bone or teeth (from vertebrates) or chitinous exoskeletons (from invertebrates).