Editing Fossil (section)

==== Permineralization ====
[[Permineralization]] is a process of fossilization that occurs when an organism is buried. The empty spaces within an organism (spaces filled with liquid or gas during life) become filled with mineral-rich [[groundwater]]. Minerals precipitate from the groundwater, occupying the empty spaces. This process can occur in very small spaces, such as within the [[cell wall]] of a [[plant cell]], and can produce very detailed fossils at small scales.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prothero |first1=Donald R. |title=Bringing fossils to life : an introduction to paleobiology |date=2013 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-231-15893-0 |page=8 |edition=Third}}</ref> For permineralization to occur, the organism must become covered by sediment soon after death, otherwise the remains are destroyed by scavengers or decomposition.{{sfn|Prothero|2013|pp=12-13}} The degree to which the remains are decayed when covered determines the later details of the fossil. Some fossils consist only of skeletal remains or teeth; other fossils contain traces of [[skin]], [[feather]]s or even soft tissues.{{sfn|Prothero|2013|p=16}} This is a form of [[diagenesis]].