Role of fossils in education

Fossils play an important role in education. This is because paleontology,
the study of fossils, is a science that combines geology, biology, chemistry
and physics in an effort to understand the origin of our world and ourselves. Even the most
reluctant student is fascinated by the past, especially when the lessons include dinosaurs and
other intriguing fossils in a way that stimulates his or her curiosity and imagination. Fossils are
an ideal means for teaching how science works.
fossils have commercial value. Many fragments do as well. Many fossils, like objects of art or gemstones, are rare, beautiful or awe inspiring;others are merely curiosities. There is a market for both the rare and exotic and the
relatively mundane. Even before there was the science of paleontology, people collected fossils
to sell them to museums or private collectors. One tension in the discussion of appropriate fossil
management arises from the fact that fossils with high commercial value often have high scientific value.
14Both children and adults enjoy learning about fossils, not only in
museums but also in the field