Of the billions of creatures that have roamed the earth, only a tiny fraction avoid decomposition after they die. It takes a very specific set of conditions to become fossilized. But if that tiny fraction hadn't fallen into those conditions, we wouldn't know about them at all. We saw a video recently about how much information is lost to nature over billions of years, so we should treasure the fossils we have.
When we study the past we also think about the future. As we dig up fossils, could we someday be dug up and studied as well? Can we fossilize our own remains to provide clues to future humans, or other intelligent beings, about our existence? Our current burial practices make this highly unlikely, but if a certain set of conditions are met, there's small chance you could be a fossil. Read about what's involved in creating a fossil, and you'll understand the odds against every one of the fossils we have now. -via Digg
(Image credit: Gary Todd)
