Fossils and Their Significance

What is a fossil?

• A type of rock found in space

• The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms

• A rare type of gemstone

• A living organism from the past

Which type of fossil is formed when minerals replace all or part of an organism?

• Mold fossil

• Cast fossil

• Petrified fossil

• Trace fossil

The Law of Superposition states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are found where?

• At the top

• In the middle

• At the bottom

• Spread randomly

What do index fossils help scientists determine?

• The diet of prehistoric animals

• The age of rock layers

• The movement of tectonic plates

• The weather during prehistoric times

Which of the following is NOT a method used to determine the age of fossils?

• Relative dating

• Radiometric dating

• Tree ring analysis

• Carbon-14 dating

Fossils provide evidence of how life on Earth has changed over time.

• True

• False

The presence of the same fossils on different continents supports the theory of continental drift.

• True

• False

All fossils are found in igneous rock.

• True

• False

Extinction events, like the one that killed the dinosaurs, can be seen in the fossil record.

• True

• False

Which of the following is a trace fossil?

• A footprint

• An amber-encased insect

• A dinosaur bone

• A petrified tree