Bed of Fossils

Sung to the tune of “Lake of fire” written by the Meatpuppets, performed by Nirvana

The Science:  Much of what we know about life long ago comes from our study of mineralized remains, or fossils.  Fossils form when a living thing gets covered by soil or silt and its soft tissues are slowly replaced with minerals.  Fossils are rare because most of the time soft tissue decomposes before it can be preserved.  We usually think about dinosaurs when we think of fossils, but the limestone islands of the Bikini atoll are full of them as well!

Chorus:

I know a place where dinosaurs toiled

Then they sunk down into the soil

Became a bed of fossils, made oil

In the tar pits you can watch them boil

 

Apatosaurus, neck so tall

Chewing on branches until they fall

This gentle giant didn’t consume meat

Never met a plant he didn’t want to eat

Chorus

Velociraptor, sleek and spry

Pack runs by in the blink of an eye

Better watch out when you hear that screech

Got a big ol’ claw foot to help him reach

Chorus

Tyrannosaurus, king of the crew

Feared by all and a carnivore too

Made it a point to really harm

Every little creature who mocked his little arms