Fossils

In which type of rock are most fossils found?

• igneous
• sedimentary
• volcanic
• metamorphic

A fossil animal has a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth.  What can you infer about the animal?

• The animal ate fruits and vegetables.
• The animal is closely related to a shark.
• The animal did not live on land.
• The animal ate meat.

If scientists found this fossil, what could they infer?

• what fish are like today
• that this fish lacked oxygen
• what kind of animal ate this fish
• that water once covered the area

Suppose both of these living things die on the same day.  Which one is more likely to become a fossil?  EXPLAIN your answer!

• The plant because it is bigger.
• The fish because it has more hard parts than the plant.
• The plant because it is green.
• The fish because it has gills.

Which of the following is NOT something you could learn from a fossil?

• The size of the animal
• What the animal ate
• The color of the animal
• Where the animal lived

In order for a fossil to form, which of the following events must happen FIRST?

• Slowly, minerals in the water replace the bone.
• Sediment covers the bone.
• An animal dies.
• The bone is no longer a bone, but a rock copy.

Why is it important for paleontologist to study fossils?

• to learn more about the future

• to learn more about the present

• to learn more about dinosaurs

• to learn more about the past

What are your footprints on the beach an example of?

• mold

• cast

• fossil

• imprints

A fossil is ____.

• a dead rotten animal
• the remains of things that lived a long, long time ago
• a plant that dried up

People who study fossils are called ____.

• meterologists
• fossilologists
• paleontologists