Fossils and Biodiversity

A scientist finds fish fossils in a desert. What does this most likely tell us?

• The area was once covered by water, like a lake or ocean.

• Fish can survive in deserts for millions of years without any water present.

• The fossils were carried to the desert by birds searching for food and water.

• The desert formed around the fish after they died and became fossils underground.

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Why do scientists study fossils found in different layers of rock?

• To learn how life and environments changed over long periods of time.

• To find out which animals are the biggest and strongest in history.

• To discover if all fossils are made from the same type of rock material.

• To see if fossils can be used as fuel for cars and machines today.

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What does it mean if similar fossils are found on different continents?

• The continents were once joined or the species could travel far distances.

• The same animals evolved at the exact same time on every continent.

• People moved the fossils from one continent to another in ancient times.

• Fossils can only form in certain places and never move from their location.

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Which discovery best shows that environments have changed over time?

• Finding palm tree fossils in places that are now cold and snowy.

• Finding the same kind of rock in both mountains and valleys nearby.

• Discovering animal tracks in wet mud after a heavy rainstorm in spring.

• Seeing living animals that look like fossils found in the same area today.

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How do fossils provide evidence of extinction?

• Some fossils are from species that no longer exist anywhere on Earth.

• Fossils are only found in areas where no living things exist today at all.

• Fossils always form in the same places as living animals and plants today.

• Fossils can only be found if the species is still alive somewhere on Earth.

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Why is it important to protect areas with high biodiversity?

• These places have many different species that help keep ecosystems healthy.

• High biodiversity means there are fewer living things and less competition for resources.

• Biodiversity is only important for scientists who study fossils and ancient environments.

• Protecting biodiversity is not important because new species will always replace old ones.

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Which situation shows how fossils help us understand ancient environments?

• Leaf fossils found with coal suggest the area was once a swampy forest.

• Fish fossils found in a river show that fish still live there today.

• Shell fossils found on a beach mean the beach has not changed for millions of years.

• Dinosaur fossils found in a museum tell us about the museum’s local environment.

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What does biodiversity mean in an ecosystem?

• The variety of different living things found in one place.

• The number of fossils found in the rocks under the ground.

• The amount of sunlight and water available to plants and animals.

• The oldest and largest animals that live in a certain habitat.

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Which pattern in fossils would show a major change in biodiversity?

• Many new types of fossils appear in one layer but not below it.

• The same fossil is found in every layer of rock in the area.

• Fossils are only found in the oldest rocks deep underground the surface.

• Fossils are found in places where no living things exist today at all.

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Why might two different places have different types of fossils?

• Each place had different environments and living things in the past.

• Fossils can only form in deserts or dry places with little water or rain.

• People moved fossils from one place to another to confuse scientists today.

• Fossils only form in places where animals and plants are still alive now.

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