Fossils Quiz

What is a fossil?

• The preserved remains or traces of living things, they provide clues to what past environments were like many years ago.

• An organic compound and a vital nutrient that an organism requires to survive.

• Any nonliving object or thing found on Earth, such as rocks, dirt, or ice.

• A part of a bone or a tooth

What is the difference between a mold and a cast fossil?

• a mold fossil is a hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism but a cast is a copy of the shape of the organism

• a cast fossil is a hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism but a mold is a copy of the shape of the organism

• a mold fossil is when minerals replace all or part of an organism but a cast is an imprint in the rock

• there is not difference between a mold and a cast fossil

When animals die, parts of their bodies decompose more easily than others. Which of the following parts listed below would be most likely NOT become a fossil?

• skin

• bones

• shells

• teeth

Fossilization can also occur from substances that preserve an animal for thousands to millions of years. Which of the following images are examples of organisms that have been nearly entirely preserved by a substance? There are TWO correct answers.

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Which answer choice below explains why there are gaps in the fossil record?

• All answer choices are correct.

• conditions that lead to fossils forming (fossilization) didn't happen all the time

• dead animals completely decay or are eaten by other organisms

• not all parts of an organism are preserved

What are trace fossils?

• impression or other preserved sign of activity (for example, feeding, scratching, burrowing, walking, or resting)

• parts of a broken fossil

• organisms preserved in amber

• lost organism