Fossils

Fossils

​What does the word fossil mean?

Comes from the word fossilis meaning "dug up."

​What are fossils?

Fossils are remains or traces of organisms that lived over 10,000 years ago that form extremely slowly.

​What are the different kinds of fossils?

• Trace fossils (record the actions of organisms such as burrowing, footprints, slithering, nests, etc.​Mold fossils (impression left behind after organism decayed)

• Cast fossil (forms when minerals fill up molds)

• ​True form (fossils of the actual organism)

• Fossil fuels (fuel formed from the remains of living organisms such as petroleum, oil, gas, coal, )

• ​Original form (some mummies)

Multiple Choice

Which type of fossil is seen here?

• cast

• mold

• true

• trace

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​What factors effect the formation of a fossil?

• ​the nature of its body tissues and structures (hard tissues such as bone and teeth are more likely to fossilize than soft tissues like eyes and heart)

• ​behavior and habitat (cold, dry habitats allow for slower decay)

• ​manner of death and burial (organisms with hard shells or sediment dwelling are more likely to fossilize)

Multiple Select

Which environment is most allow for fossilization of a species? TWO ANSWERS

• Tropical rainforest

• sand dunes of the Gobi

• burial in sea sand

• dark damp areas

​How do most fossils form?

When a plant or animal dies in a watery environment and is buried in mud and silt.

Soft tissues quickly decompose leaving the hard bones or shells behind.

Over time sediment builds over the top and hardens into rock.

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Multiple Choice

All of the following are often related to fossil formation and discovery except

• burial

• exposure

• erosion

• flooding

Multiple Choice

Most fossils are formed within which kind of rock?

• sedimentary

• metamorphic

• igneous

• they form equally in all types of rock

Multiple Choice

Click to enlarge. Study this carefully. Which fossil in the oldest?

• Fossil 1

• Fossil 2

• fossil 3

Multiple Choice

Which layer is the oldest?

• A

• F

• Can not be determined

• They are all the same age.

Multiple Choice

Which layer is the youngest?

• A

• F

• Can not tell

• They are all the same age.

Multiple Choice

If fossils in layer D are 100 million years old and in layer B they are 110 million years old, how old might are the fossils in layer C? Choose the best answer.

• 90 million years old

• 120 million years old

• 105 million years old

• 50 million years old