What are trace fossils?

Trace fossils are clues left behind by animals that lived long ago, like footprints in the sand after a walk at the beach.

Imagine you’re playing outside and you leave footprints in the mud, those are like trace fossils, but from ancient times. Instead of being made by your feet, they might be made by dinosaurs walking or worms burrowing through soil.

Sometimes, trace fossils look like scratches on a rock, like when you draw with your finger in frosting, that’s what a triceratops might have left behind as it walked across soft ground. Other times, they look like holes or tunnels, just like the ones you dig in the dirt while playing.

Trace fossils aren’t bones, they’re clues about how animals moved and lived. It’s like finding a note that says “I was here” from someone who lived thousands of years ago, but instead of paper, it's rock or soil. That makes them super special, you can almost imagine the ancient creature leaving its message behind!