Fossil Review

Front

What type of organisms are more likely to become fossilized?

Back

Organisms with hard parts like bones, shells, or teeth.

Front

Why are organisms with soft parts less likely to become fossilized?

Back

Their soft tissues decompose quickly.

Front

What are the three main steps in the fossilization process?

Back

1) A living thing dies 2) The organism is buried quickly 3) The sediments slowly harden into rock preserving the shape of the organism.

Front

What is a carbonized film fossil?

Back

A fossil that forms when organisms are pressed between layers of soft mud or clay, leaving a carbon imprint in the rock.

Front

What is a trace fossil?

Back

A fossil that forms when mud or sand hardens to stone, leaving evidence of an organism such as footprints, coprolites, or nests.

Front

What is a preserved fossil?

Back

A fossil that retains the original tissues of the organism, often found in amber or ice.

Front

What is a petrified fossil?

Back

A fossil that forms when organic material is replaced with minerals, turning it into stone.

Front

What is a mold fossil?

Back

A fossil that forms when an organism leaves an impression in sediment that hardens.

Front

What is a cast fossil?

Back

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

Front

What conditions are necessary for fossilization to occur?

Back

Rapid burial and the presence of hard parts in the organism.