A body fossil refers to the actual animal or plant body that has been fossilised. Body fossils are most abundant and include animal bones, teeth, crustaceans, shells, plant stems, leaves, flower, and fruit. Due to long-term burial, the original material hardens through the chemical exchange process with calcium, silicon and sulphide in the groundwater. Some animal and plant debris are imprinted on soft sediment surfaces, and during the diagenesis process, they leave traces in the rock in the form of prints, moulds or films.
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(2020). Body Fossil. In: Chen, A., Ng, Y., Zhang, E., Tian, M. (eds) Dictionary of Geotourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_188
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_188
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