Fossil Record

Which layer contains the oldest fossil?

• Layer 1

• Layer 2

• Layer 3

• Layer 4

Which of the following would be an example of absolute age?

• Fossil A is older than Fossil B

• Fossil A and Fossil B are the same age

• Fossil A is 10 million years old

Which of the following is an example of relative age

• Fossil A is older than Fossil B

• Fossil A is about 10 million years old

• Fossil B is 2 million years old

Which layer contains the youngest fossil?

• layer 1

• layer 2

• layer 3

• layer 4

Organisms D and C clearly lived in an aquatic (water) environment. Organism A does not look like it lived in the water. What is the most likely explanation for this?

• The fossil in layer A died on land and was carried to the water

• The fossils in layer C and D did not live in the same location as the fossil in layer A

• The environment changed over a long period of time. It used to be under water, but is not anymore

What is a likely event that occurred between fossil layers B and D?

• explosion of new species

• mass extinction

• can not tell from the image

• small changes to the environment

Starting at layer H (at the bottom) what pattern do you notice as you move up towards layer B

• organisms become more complex

• random arrangement of organisms

• organisms go from water only to land only

• organisms become more simple

What is extinction?

• When a species no longer exists
• The quality or state of having many different forms
• The arrangement of things in the order which they occurred
• Layers of rock that are successfully deposited on top of each other and are distinguishable

The mineralized remains of organisms, showing how long-dead organisms lived and how their bodies were structured

• Diversity

• Endangered

• Fossils

• Crude Oil

Why do you think there are not fossil for every organism that has every lived?

• Many organisms decompose too quickly to become fossils

• They do, the fossils are just destroyed

• Some plants and animals do not have carbon in them

• Many organisms are too large to form fossils