Fossil Records and Principle of Superposition

Fossils are the preserved remains of organisms that lived long ago. According to the law of superposition, the rock layers that contain fossils should be far below Earth’s surface. Which answer best explains why fossils are sometimes found at or near the surface?

• Fossils are less dense than rock, so they rise to the surface.

• Fossils are moved to the surface by other organisms.

• Sedimentary rock layers are relatively soft, and new fossils sink through upper layers into older, deeper layers.

• Some rock layers with fossils have been exposed because of different processes, such as faulting, folding, and weathering.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Scientists find a fossil of a fish on top of a mountain. What kind of evidence does the fossil provide scientists about the way this area might have changed over time?

• It shows that fish were once able to live without water.

• It shows that oceans can change quickly and become land.

• It shows that the animals found on the mountain today evolved from fish.

• It shows that the mountain may have once been under water and raised up by natural processes.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Principle that states in a sequence of undisturbed rocks, the oldest rocks are on the bottom and the rocks become progressively younger toward the top 

• superposition 

• uniformitarianism

• half-life

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Fossils provide information about the layers of rock in which they are found. For example, the fish fossil indicates that the sediments in the surrounding rock were deposited in or near a body of water.

What information does the fish fossil provide about the age of the rock layer surrounding it?

• The rock is younger than the fossil.

• The rock is older than the fossil.

• The rock and fossil are the same age.

• The age of the rock is unrelated to the age of the fossil.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What does the fossil record provide evidence for?

• The history of modern technology

• The history of past life on Earth

• The future predictions of animal evolution

• The chemical composition of ancient rocks

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DOK Level 1: Recall

What evidence do fossils provide about how life has changed over time?

• They show that life forms have remained the same

• They indicate changes in climate and geography

• They demonstrate the evolution of life forms through natural selection

• They prove that dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

What evidence do fossils provide about organisms that lived in the past?

• How they interacted with their environment

• Their genetic makeup

• The exact cause of their extinction

• Their appearance, behavior, and how they may have evolved

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

How do paleontologists use the fossil record to make evolutionary inferences?

• By comparing the size of fossils

• By studying the sequence of fossils in rock layers

• By counting the number of fossils

• By listening to the stories told by ancient civilizations

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

What is the significance of the fossil record?

• It shows the history of plant and animal life on Earth

• It is used to predict the weather

• It helps in locating oil reserves

• It is a record of human history

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

In what ways do fossils help scientists predict future biodiversity and environmental changes?

• By providing a record of past mass extinctions and recoveries

• By showing where oil can be found

• By indicating where to find precious stones

• By offering a map of ancient civilizations

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DOK Level 4: Extended Thinking