Fossilization Quiz

What are the two major categories of fossils?

• Trace fossils and mineral fossils

• Body fossils and rock fossils

• Body fossils and mineral fossils

• Body fossils and trace fossils

What is the process that transforms soft tissues into thin black films of carbon?

• Carbonization

• Permineralization

• Amberization

• Fossilization

What type of fossilization method changes the specimen as it is being preserved?

• Freezing

• Mummification

• Carbonization

• Permineralization

What is the process that creates a biologically inert tomb for an organism, allowing its soft tissues to be remarkably preserved?

• Carbonization

• Freezing

• Mummification

• Amberization

What type of fossilization method involves organisms that have been frozen, preserved in tar pits, and mummified?

• Carbonization

• Freezing

• Amberization

• Permineralization

What crucial information can permineralized wood often contain?

• Tree genus and species

• Fossil fuel

• Genetic material

• Footprints

What has been so well preserved in amber that their genetic material was extracted and partially sequenced?

• Plants

• Mammals

• Dinosaurs

• Insects

What do footprints left behind by ancient hominids help paint a picture of?

• Insects

• Mammals

• Early human ancestors

• Dinosaurs