Fossils

People who study fossils are called ____.

• meterologists
• fossilologists
• paleontologists
• fossil hunters

Which of the following is NOT an example of a fossil?

• a petrified tree trunk

• a footprint captured in stone

• a seashell found on the beach

• an insect stuck in amber

Which of the following is NOT something you could learn from a fossil?

• The size of the animal
• What the animal ate
• The color of the animal
• Where the animal lived

In order for a fossil to form, which of the following events must happen FIRST?

• Slowly, minerals in the water replace the bone.
• Sediment covers the bone.
• An animal dies.
• The bone is no longer a bone, but a rock copy.

Why don't we know what many ancient plants looked like?

• They had too many soft parts that decayed quickly.

• They were all eaten by dinosaurs.

• There weren't any ancient plants.

• They had too many hard parts.

Which statement BEST describes how the fossil bones of a dinosaur are formed?

• The dinosaur became trapped in amber.
• The dinosaur was covered in sediment.
• The dinosaur was frozen in ice.
• The dinosaur stepped in wet mud.

What happens when a group of animals become extinct?

• All of its members have died.
• Only a few of its members are still living.
• The animals can no longer lay eggs.
• All of its members move to another place.

Where can the oldest fossils be found?

• The top layer

• The middle layer

• They are all the same age

• The bottom layer

If scientists found this fossil on a mountain, what could they infer?

• what fish are like today

• that this fish lacked oxygen

• what kind of animal ate this fish

• that water once covered the area

Which animal part would most likely form a fossil?

• Muscle 
• Fur
• Lung
• Bone