fossil record
noun [ C or S ] uk/ˌfɒs.əl ˈrek.ɔːd/ us/ˌfɑː.səl ˈrek.ɚd/
化石记录
the fossils in a particular group of rocks that give information about how and when those rocks formed, or the set of all fossils together that can be used to tell the history of the earth