Fossils 2024

Front

What happens to the soft parts of an organism when it dies?

Back

They decay quickly or are eaten by animals.

Front

What type of fossil might a woolly mammoth or ancient hominid be found as in frozen tundra?

Back

Preserved or original remains.

Front

Which type of organism is the most difficult to fossilize?

Back

Plants.

Front

Why are most fossils found in sedimentary rock?

Back

The processes that create igneous and metamorphic rocks involve intense heat and pressure that would destroy the fossils.

Front

What is the process called when minerals soak into buried remains and replace them, turning them into rock?

Back

Mineral replacement (permineralization).

Front

What are fossils?

Back

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.

Front

What is a cast fossil?

Back

A cast fossil forms when a mold of an organism is filled with minerals or sediment.

Front

What is a mold fossil?

Back

A mold fossil is an impression left in sediment that reflects the shape of an organism.

Front

What conditions are necessary for fossilization to occur?

Back

Rapid burial and the presence of sediment are necessary for fossilization.

Front

What is carbonization in fossil formation?

Back

Carbonization is the process where organic material is reduced to carbon, forming a thin film on rock.