wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Fossil Study Guide

Total questions: 16

Worksheet time: 11mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is a fossil?

a)

A dinosaur

b)

A dead animal

c)

A bone you find in a mountain side

d)

The preserved remains or traces of plants and animals from the past

2.

In what type of rock are fossils most commonly found?

a)

Metamorphic

b)

Igneous

c)

Sedimentary

3.

A ______________________________ is someone who studies what life was like long ago.

a)

fossil record

b)

evidence

c)

paleontologist

d)

preserved

4.

The table gives information on different fossils. Which fossil would tell us that the area had been covered with trees in the past?

a)

snail shell

b)

scorpion

c)

dragonfly

d)

millipede

5.

The map shows where fossil plants were found. The table shows the habitat where these plants grew in the past. In which area on the map was there previously an ocean?

a)

Area A

b)

Area B

c)

Area C

d)

Area D

6.

A bug in amber is what type of fossil?

a)

trace fossil

b)

mold fossil

c)

body fossil

d)

resin fossil

7.

Amber is........

a)

when something is no longer in existence

b)

a footprint, trail, or burrow

c)

hard translucent resin formed by tree sap

d)

petrified wood

8.

Scientists discovered the fossilized remains of an unidentified animal. They can tell from its remains that it had gills and fins, but no legs. What conclusion about the animal can they draw from the evidence?

a)

It lived in the water and on land.

b)

It lived in the water all the time.

c)

It was a land mammal.

d)

It had legs that did not fossilize

9.

In order for an animal to become a fossil it must be buried after it dies.

a)

True

b)

False

10.

The picture shows a tooth fossil of the extinct Megalodon shark next to teeth from a great white shark, which is still found today. Which of the following best explains the difference in the size of the teeth?

a)

The fossilized tooth was filled with water, which made it grow in size.

b)

Sharks alive today do not live long enough to grow very large teeth.

c)

Sharks were once larger than the sharks that are living today.

d)

The fossilized tooth had extra sediment around it, which became a part of it.

11.
Which layer of rock is the oldest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
12.

What has to happen before a fossil can be formed?

a)

wind and water wash away animal remains

b)

an organism dies and is covered with mud or sediment

c)

an animal dies and is eaten by predators

13.

How do scientists learn about dinosaurs?

a)

by studying fossils

b)

by reading about them

c)

by watching movies

d)

by looking at pictures

14.

Which feature helps the most to identify the organism as a plant?

a)

size

b)

color

c)

smell

d)

shape

15.
What does this fossil have in common with a living leaf?
a)
It has the same shape.
b)
It has tissue of a real leaf.
c)
It stores energy.
d)
It was dug from the earth.
16.

A scientist discovered a fossil of an ocean plant in the rocks of a desert. What does the discovery of this fossil MOST likely tell the scientist?

a)

the fossils were formed at the top of a mountain

b)

the fossils were formed during a rainstorm

c)

the area had many volcanic eruptions

d)

the area was once covered by water