Fossils and Extinct Organisms Unit 6 Lesson 1

Joanie brought home several different seashells from the beach. Which one is a fossil?

• a clam that died on the way home

• a rock with an imprint of a seashell

• a clump of seashells stuck together

• two seashell halves that fit together

Which extinct organism is most closely related to today’s sharks?

• ammonite

• trilobite

• megalodon

• mammoth

What is the most likely reason the saber-toothed cat became extinct?

• The temperature became too cold.

• Saber-toothed cats were hunted by other animals.

• The area in which they lived became an ocean.

• Animals they depended upon for food became extinct.

What is a scientist who studies fossils called?

• a biologist

• a botanist

• a paleontologist

• a physicist

Fish live in many different environments such as lakes, ponds, and oceans. Which is one feature in fish that has changed greatly over time?

• scales

• bones

• eyes

• jaws

Hardened sap that insects can get trapped in is called what?

• Amber

• Ivory

• Rock

• Clay

A ____ can be footprints preserved in rock.

• Mold

• Petrified wood

• Trace fossil

• Minerals

What forms when a shell leaves its shape in the mud?

• Cast

• Mold

• Footprint

• Carbon film

When a species no longer exists they are called?

• Endangered

• Fossils

• Missing

• Extinct

The preserved remains or traces of a once-living organism is called what?

• Animal

• Mineral

• Fossil

• Vegetable