The remains, relics or biological traces of animals or plants belonging to paleogeological times preserved in the earth's crust are called fossils.
In the long geological age, countless creatures lived on the earth, and many of their dead bodies or traces left by life were buried by the sediment at that time.
In the following years, the organic matter in these biological remains was completely decomposed, and the hard parts, such as shells, bones, branches and leaves, together with the surrounding sediments, were petrified into stones, but their original forms and structures (even some subtle internal structures) still existed; Similarly, the traces left by those creatures when they are alive can be preserved in this way.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Fossil Web page link