Fossils

What do mammoths and elephants have in common?

• an ancestor with no tusks

• a warm climate

• thick, shaggy fur

• both are extinct from hunting

Which statement is true?

• Some kinds of living things have not changed in millions of years.

• Fossils show that horses have stayed the same for millions of years.

• Living things today are larger than their ancestors.

• Every kind of living thing has been preserved as a fossil.

In which type of rock are most fossils formed?

• metamorphic

• amber

• igneous

• sedimentary

The study of fossils is called

• psychology

• ecology

• paleontology

• geology

The hollow space that is left after an organism's remains dissolve is called a(an)

• cast

• index fossil

• trace fossil

• mold

A deer leaves a footprint in the mud. The mud hardens into stone. What kind of fossil is this?

• petrified

• trace

• index

• carbon film

What was Pangea?

• important index fossil

• small ocean animal

• ancient relative of the scallop

• ancient, giant continent

A shark has a skeleton made of a soft, firm material that is also found in human ears. Which part of a shark is most likely to become a fossil?

• top fin

• eyes

• skeleton

• teeth

Why are most plant fossils carbon films?

• Only plants contain carbon.

• Most plants are flat.

• Plants lack hard parts that fossilize.

• Most plants weren't buried in sediment.

A fossil fish is found in a desert. What is this evidence of?

• The land where the fossil was found has always been a desert.

• The land where the fossil was found was once under water.

• The ancestors of that fish lived on land.

• The fish died when the land dried out.