Fossils

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

• a petrified dinosaur bone

• a footprint captured in mud

• a seashell found on the beach

• an insect stuck in amber

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

_____ is any living thing, plant or animal, even you!

• A paleontologist

• An organism

• A fossil

• A rock

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

• They had too many soft parts.
• They were all eaten by dinosaurs.
• There weren't ancient plants.
• They had too many hard parts.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Lily sees a skeleton of a dinosaur at a museum. What is true about the bones that make up the skeleton?

• The bones are made up of minerals.
• The bones are those of the dinosaur itself.
• The bones were formed from mud that hardened.
• The bones are made up of amber.

How are fossils created?

• Traces of organisms get turned into stone.
• Dead organisms are quickly buried for millions of years.
• Animals get trapped.
• All of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

A fossil animal has a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth.  What can you infer about the animal?

• The animal ate fruits and vegetables.
• The animal is closely related to a shark.
• The animal did not live on land.
• The animal ate meat.

If scientists found this fossil, 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

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which of these must happen first for a fossil to form?

• A plant or animal is covered by sediment.
• Sediments fill a mold and form a cast.
• A plant or animal is eaten.
• Sediments are pressed together and harden.

What replaces the wood of a once-living tree to form petrified wood?

• amber
• a cast
• a mold
• minerals

Pick three ways that an organism can become a fossil.

• The organism can be frozen in ice.

• The organism can be left in the hot sun.

• The organism can be quickly buried in mud.

• The organism can decompose quickly.

• The organism can be trapped in tree resin.