Fossils Vocabulary

Front

What is a fossil?

Back

A fossil is the remains or traces of once-living things that have been preserved in rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Front

What is a trace fossil?

Back

A trace fossil provides clues about the activities of living things, such as footprints or burrows.

Front

What is a mold fossil?

Back

A mold fossil is a hollow impression left in rock by a living thing.

Front

What is a cast fossil?

Back

A cast fossil forms when a mold fossil is filled with minerals, creating a replica of the original organism.

Front

What is an amber fossil?

Back

An amber fossil is formed when tree resin traps and preserves small organisms, like insects.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Front

What are petrified fossils?

Back

Petrified fossils are formed when organic material is replaced by minerals, turning it into stone.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Front

What does extinct mean?

Back

Extinct means that a species no longer exists anywhere on Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Front

What type of fossil shows the hard parts of once-living things?

Back

A body fossil shows the hard parts, like bones or shells, of once-living things.

Front

What can sharp teeth and claws in a fossil tell us?

Back

They suggest that the creature likely ate other animals.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Front

What is the difference between a body fossil and a trace fossil?

Back

A body fossil is the actual remains of an organism, while a trace fossil shows evidence of its activities.