Discovering the World of Fossils

Where have fossils been discovered?

• Only in Europe

• On every continent including Antarctica

• Only in Africa and Asia

• Only in North America

What helps scientists determine where dinosaur bones belong?

• Their weight

• Their size

• Similarity to bird and reptile skeletons

• Their color

What is a trace fossil?

• An impression made by plant or animal activity

• A fossilized egg

• A piece of petrified wood

• A type of dinosaur

How do cast fossils form?

• By freezing in ice

• From dinosaur teeth

• When minerals fill a mold

• Through volcanic ash

What do fossils tell us?

• Only the age of the Earth

• Nothing important

• How ancient plants and animals lived

• Future predictions

What are fossils found in?

• Only in caves

• Sedimentary rock layers

• Only in mountains

• Only in water

What is amber?

• A kind of mineral

• Hardened sap from evergreen trees

• Hardened dinosaur skin

• A type of rock

What animals have been found preserved in tar pits?

• Insects and spiders

• Fish and sharks

• Dinosaurs and birds

• Mammoths and saber-toothed cats

Can fossils be found encased in ice?

• Only fish fossils

• No, ice melts too quickly

• Yes, including woolly mammoths

• Only plant fossils

What tool is not used by paleontologists?

• Brush

• Hammer

• Laptop

• Magnifying glass