Fossils Section Review

Which phrases describe sedimentary rock? Check all that apply.

• Includes fine particles of sand

• Forms inside a volcano

• Has many layers

• Contains large, colorful crystals

• Formed from material that was eroded

Use the answers below and find out what you have learned about fossils to complete the paragraph.

A fossil is the preserved remains of a living thing. Many fossils form in still water where_____ build up. The____ parts of the organism decay. The___ parts, such as bone and teeth, remain.

• Sediments, soft, hard

• Rocks, organic, soft

• Minerals, front, nonorganic

• Hard, soft, sediments

Which statements accurately describe the evidence that scientists gather using fossils? Check all that apply

• The fossil record can be used to date rocks.

• Living things with many cells have always lived on Earth.

• Simple organisms are found only in young rocks.

• Scientists can figure out what ancient living things ate.

• Pollen and seeds help provide clues about ancient climates.

Use what you know about fossils to choose the correct answers from the drop-down menus to complete each statement.

If the same organism appears on two different continents, this is evidence of__________

Fossils show how organisms change, or _______ over time.

Fossils provide a record of animals that are________ or no longer living.

Which of these is most likely to become a carbon film?

• a dinosaur leg bone

• a sea creature’s shell

• a flowering plant

• a tree trunk

Choose the image that shows a cast.

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Which sources would preserve the soft tissues of an early mammal? Check all that apply.

• Amber in Russia

• Frozen soil in the Arctic

• Sandstone in the Badlands

• Foraminifera in the ocean

• Ice sheets in Greenland

Which statements about this area are true based on what you know about petrified fossils? Check all that apply.

• The area was once a forest.

• The area was uplifted.

• The area was void of organic material.

• The area was probably covered by water.

• The area was covered by volcanic material.

What did scientists study to develop the geologic time scale?

• Oceans

• Fossils

• The atmosphere

Which division of the geologic time scale includes most of Earth’s history?

• Precambrian

• Paleozoic

• Cenozoic