How Fossils Form

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.

In which type of rock can fossils be found?

• igneous 

• sedimentary

• obsidian

• metamorphic

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What is the final step of fossilization?

• Minerals around the skeleton preserve the bone.

• The animal is covered of layers of dirt and sediment.

• Wind and water erosion expose the fossil to the surface.

• Over time, layers build pressure that turn the layers into stone.

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This happens when animals or plants die and are gently covered up by layers.

• weathering

• fossils

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Fossils form over ____ of years.

• 200

• 20

• 200,000,000

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What is this?

• fossils

• just simple rocks

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What is the primary condition necessary for fossilization to occur?

• Rapid burial under sediment

• Exposure to sunlight

• Presence of oxygen

• High temperatures

Which of the following organisms is least likely to become fossilized?

• A clam in a muddy seabed

• A jellyfish in open water

• A dinosaur in a floodplain

• A tree in a swamp

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What role do minerals play in the fossilization process?

• They dissolve the organic material

• They replace the organic material

• They prevent fossilization

• They speed up decomposition

Which type of fossil is formed when an organism leaves an impression in the substrate?

• Cast fossil

• Trace fossil

• Mold fossil

• True form fossil