Fossils

Fossils are best defined as...

• the preserved remains of plant or animal life found in rock

• dead organisms from the past

• bones of dead organisms

• plant and animal matter from long ago

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossils do all of the following except...

• give clues about organisms that lived long ago

• provide a record of every organism that every lived

• give us an understanding of what the environments of the past were like

• provide evidence for how Earth's surface has changed over time

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossils are only found in which type of rock?

• Igneous

• Metamorphic

• Sedimentary

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

This type of fossil forms when minerals replace all or part of an organism.

• Carbon film

• Cast

• Mold

• Petrified

• Trace

This type of fossil forms when the hard part of the organism dissolves leaving a cavity or hallow in the rock.

• Carbon film

• Cast

• Mold

• Petrified

• Trace

This type of fossil forms when a hollow area (a mold) is filled with minerals or sediments producing a copy of the original.

• Carbon film

• Cast

• Mold

• Original Remains

• Trace

This type of fossil leaves an imprint of soft parts of organisms and plant matter; it forms when a layer of carbon is left behind in the shape of the organism.

• Carbon film

• Cast

• Mold

• Original Remains

• Trace

This type of fossil gives scientists clues of organism behavior; it is not a fossil of a part of the organism but rather, a fossil providing evidence of organism activity.

• Carbon film

• Cast

• Mold

• Original Remains

• Trace

This type of fossil is the unchanging remains of plant or animals; it is the preserved specimen.

• Carbon film

• Cast

• Mold

• Original Remains

• Trace

Which of the following is an example of a trace fossil?

• raptor claw

• mosquito in amber

• the imprint of a fish

• Stegosaurus footprint