define whole body fossils
In replacement fossils the body dissolves and minerals are left in its place. In permineralization, the water enters the cells of the organism and deposits minerals in the spaces inside them. Petrified wood is a permineralized fossil. Whole Body Fossils. Whole body fossils occur when an entire organism, including soft tissues, is preserved. Examples include insects entombed in tree sap, which hardens to become amber, and mammoths encased in ice. Footprints and Trackways. Footprints made by prehistoric animals walking through the mud sometimes harden and become fossils.