Why do some deserts contain fossils of ancient seas or lakes?
Quick Answer
Many deserts were once underwater or much wetter, and their sediments later became rock or fossil-bearing layers. Tectonic uplift and climate change can turn those regions arid long after the fossils formed.
The Full Story
A desert today does not mean the area was always dry. Fossils can form in sediments laid down by shallow seas, lakes, or river systems millions of years ago, then be buried and lithified into sedimentary rock. Later, tectonic movements may lift those rocks upward, and climate shifts may leave them exposed in a desert environment. The Gobi and parts of the Sahara and western North America preserve such ancient environments. Fossils in deserts are valuable because sparse vegetation and erosion can reveal them clearly.
Key Facts
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