Fossil Formation and Types

Front

What are fossils?

Back

Fossils are the remains or traces of ancient living things that have been preserved in rocks.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Front

What type of rock are most fossils found in?

Back

Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Front

What can we learn from the teeth of animals?

Back

The shape of an animal's teeth can tell us what it ate, such as plants or other animals.

Front

What is amber?

Back

Amber is a type of fossil formed from tree sap that has hardened and replaced by minerals.

Front

What is a mammoth?

Back

A mammoth is an extinct animal that is similar to modern elephants and had long tusks.

Front

How do fossils form?

Back

Fossils form when living things die and are buried by sediment, which hardens into rock over time.

Front

What is a mold fossil?

Back

A mold fossil is a cavity in rock that shows the shape of an organism.

Front

What is a cast fossil?

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A cast fossil is a solid copy of the shape of an organism, formed when minerals fill a mold.

Front

What can scientists infer from finding a fish fossil in the desert?

Back

Scientists can infer that the area was once covered by water.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Front

What is the difference between extinct and endangered species?

Back

Extinct species no longer exist, while endangered species are at risk of becoming extinct.