Mystery Fossils

Students notice a fossil of seaweed in a rock found in the middle of Georgia. What conclusion could they form based on this evidence?

• Part of Georgia was once under salt water.

• Weathering and erosion break down rocks.

• Trees in the forest need sunlight in order to grow.

• Ancient animals ate seaweed to get energy.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What can we learn from studying the fossils in a certain area?

• How much sunlight the area received

• The direction the wind used to blow in the past

• How much rain fell in the area last year

• The kinds of animals that lived there

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

__________ is the preserved remains of animals, plants, or other organisms from the past.

• Evidence

• Sequence

• Fossils

• Organisms

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which is something you could NOT learn from a fossil?

• the size of the plant/animal

• what the animal ate

• what color the plant/animal was

• where the plant/animal lived

Which of these are things scientists can learn from fossils? Select all that apply.

• what the animal ate

• why the plant or animal died

• what plants and animals lived together

• what color the plant/animal was

• how long ago the plant or animal lived

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

In order for a fossil to form, which of these things must happen FIRST?

• The bone is no longer a bone, but a rock copy.

• Slowly, minerals in the water replace the bone.

• An animal dies.

• Sediment covers the bone.

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

• The animal only ate fruits and vegetables.

• The animal lived in the ocean.

• The animal is related to sharks.

• The animal ate meat.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What part of an animal will most likely become a fossil?

• Muscle

• Eyelash

• Bone

• Ear

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What can the presence of mystery fossils in a desert region indicate about its past environment?

• The region was always a desert.

• The region was once underwater.

• The region was always a forest.

• The region was once a mountain range.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which scientific method is most useful for dating mystery fossils?

• Carbon dating

• Thermoluminescence

• Dendrochronology

• Radiometric dating