Fossil Preservation Quiz

What are the remains of living organisms called?

• Fossils

• Minerals

• Rocks

• Metals

What is the process whereby minerals that make up the fossils are dissolved away and removed in solution by groundwater?

• Silicification

• Dissolution

• Pyritisation

• Replacement

Which type of preservation involves the near-perfect preservation of organisms covered by amber?

• Entombment in amber

• Entombment in peat bogs

• Dehydration

• Refrigeration

What is the process by which organic matter becomes saturated with silica or groundwater rich in silica moves through a rock and the silica precipitates within pore spaces and voids?

• Carbonisation

• Pyritisation

• Silicification

• Replacement

Which type of preservation involves the replacement of the original mineral by iron pyrites?

• Carbonisation

• Pyritisation

• Silicification

• Mould and cast formation

What is the ideal condition required for exceptional preservation of fossils?

• High-energy conditions

• Acidic conditions

• Aerobic conditions

• Low-energy conditions

What type of organisms are poorly preserved in the fossil record due to lack of mineralised skeletons?

• Brachiopods

• Molluscs

• Worms

• Corals

What is the main type of fossils that represent the skeletal remains or 'hard parts' of the organism?

• Trace fossils

• Refrigeration fossils

• Body fossils

• Amber fossils

What is the process that effectively entombs organisms in ice sheets and glaciers?

• Refrigeration

• Pyritisation

• Carbonisation

• Silicification

What is the substance secreted by a plant or insect that results in near-perfect preservation of organisms covered by it?

• Mummification

• Exudate

• Dissolution

• Replacement