Fossils show differences?

Question

How might scientists use information about fossils to show that life forms, climate, environment, and geological features in certain locations are not the same as they were in the past?

Answer 1

If you find remains of sea critters in a quarry in, for example, landlocked Oxfordshire, then that provides a slight clue that the local einvironment was a bit significantly different when they were deposited.

If you find remains of palm trees in Greenland, that's another indication that a certain amount of change has occurred.

Both those quick examples are based on genuine occurrences, by the way.