Fossils Flashcard

Front

What is a fossil?

Back

A remnant, impression, or trace of an animal or plant of a past geologic age preserved in the earth's crust.

Front

What is a trace fossil?

Back

A fossil that provides indirect evidence of ancient plants or animals, such as footprints, nests, burrows, or feces.

Front

What does permineralization refer to?

Back

A type of fossilization where minerals fill in the open spaces of an organism or organic tissue.

Front

Who is a paleontologist?

Back

A person who studies or is an expert in the branch of science concerned with fossil animals and plants.

Front

What is a transitional fossil?

Back

A fossilized organism that has traits of both an ancestral species and its descendant species.

Front

What is the fossil record?

Back

The collection of all fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in sedimentary rock layers.

Front

This type of fossil is tree sap hardened and replaced by minerals.

Back

Amber

Front

What can fossils tell us about the Earth's history?

Back

The types of organisms that existed in the past

Front

What do we call a scientist who studies fossils?

Back

Paleontologist

Front

Remains, imprints or traces of once-living organisms

Back

fossils

Answer explanation

Fossils are the remains, imprints, or traces of once-living organisms, providing evidence of past life. Water and superposition do not refer to such biological remnants, making fossils the correct choice.