Fossils

Which question can be answered by studying fossils?

• Why do plants need sunlight?

• What plants lived long ago?

• When will the next hurricane occur?

• When will the next flood occur?

Scientists search for and study fossils. What is the purpose of studying fossils?

• to find igneous rocks

• to make molds and casts

• to find oil and coal inside the Earth

• to find out about early life on Earth

A scientist finds a fossil of a fish on top of a mountain. Which answer choice explains how the fish fossil got there?

• There were fish once living on the mountain

• Someone put the fossil there

• The mountain was once under the sea

• The fish climbed the mountain

________is when there is no more of an organism's kind left on Earth.

• Animal remains

• Preserved remains

• Extinction

• Mold Fossil

A researcher finds many fish fossils in an area.

The researcher claims that the area was once under water.

Which additional fossil evidence supports the research's claim?

• Buffalo fossils

• Fern fossils

• Large cat fossils

• Seashell fossils

This shark tooth fossil was found in the desert.

What can we learn about the desert environment from this fossil?

• Millions of years ago, it used to rain more in the desert.

• Millions of years ago, the desert was covered by water.

• Millions of years ago, some fish could live without water.

• Millions of years ago, sharks walked on land.

Mammoths and elephants are close relatives.

Mammoths are extinct animals that had long hair all over their bodies.

Present-day elephants have much less body hair.

In which environment did MAMMOTHS most likely live?

• Cold region

• Desert

• Ocean

• Tropical rainforest

A scientist found a fossil of a musk ox in a desert. The scientist learned that the animal had thick, shaggy hair that was 60 cm long. The image shows how the musk ox may have looked.

What might the scientist conclude from studying the fossil?

• Musk oxen were once common in the desert

• The area had freshwater flowing through it in the past

• The area had a cold climate at sometime in the past

• Musk oxen lost their long hair to adapt to desert climate

Examine the layers of rock. Which layer contains the oldest fossil?

• A

• B

• C

• D

A scientist studies the fossilized tracks of two different organisms found at a particular site. Which tool should the scientist use to make measurements of the tracks?

• ruler

• thermometer

• clock

• calculator