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Fossils Quiz

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 48mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

A fossil is ?

a)

The preserved remains, impressions, or traces of once living organisms.

b)

The left over tools of people that lived in the past.

c)

The Layers in sedimentary rock.

2.

How are fossils formed?

a)

Through the process of sedimentation and mineralization

b)

By the rapid cooling of lava

c)

Through photosynthesis

d)

By the evaporation of water

3.

What is the role of sediments in fossil formation?

a)

Sediments protect remains from destruction or decay and help in fossilization.

b)

Sediments dissolve the remains, preventing fossilization.

c)

Sediments have no role in fossil formation.

d)

Sediments speed up the decay process.

4.

What happens to the bones of animals in sediment layers?

a)

They dissolve completely.

b)

Minerals slowly replace the calcium in bones

c)

They are unchanged.

d)

They turn into diamonds.

5.

How do fossils come closer to earth’s surface? Check all that apply.

a)

Through erosion and weathering of overlying rocks

b)

By volcanic activity pushing them upwards

c)

Due to tectonic plate movements

d)

By human excavation activities

6.

How does erosion help to expose fossils?

a)

By wearing away the surrounding rock and soil

b)

By covering fossils with more sediment

c)

By creating new fossils

d)

By preserving fossils in their original state

7.

How are petrified fossils formed?

a)

Through the process of mineralization where organic material is replaced with minerals.

b)

By being frozen in ice for thousands of years.

c)

Through the compression of organic material into coal.

d)

By being trapped in amber.

8.

What does a Paleontologist study? What are some of his tools?

a)

A Paleontologist studies fossils. Tools include brushes, chisels, rock hammers, and magnifying glasses.

b)

A Paleontologist studies the stars. Tools include telescopes, star charts, computers, and cameras.

c)

A Paleontologist studies plants. Tools include microscopes, test tubes, soil samplers, and pH meters.

d)

A Paleontologist studies weather. Tools include barometers, anemometers, thermometers, and rain gauges.

9.

Define a fossil mold?

a)

A fossil mold is a hollow impression left in sedimentary rock by a decayed organism.

b)

A fossil mold is a type of fossil that contains the actual remains of an organism.

c)

A fossil mold is a bug that has been trapped in the sap of a tree.

d)

A fossil mold is a type of fossil that forms when minerals replace the original material of an organism.

10.

What is a fossil cast?

a)

A fossil cast is a replica of a fossil made by filling a hollow mold with sediment or minerals.

b)

A fossil cast is the original fossil bones found in sedimentary rock.

c)

A fossil cast contains preserved bodies of animals that lived long ago.

d)

A fossil cast is a bug that has been trapped in the sap of a tree.

11.

What do you call a very thin coating of carbon on rock?

a)

Carbon film

b)

Graphite layer

c)

Charcoal coating

d)

Soot deposit

12.

What happens to a wooly mammoth if it falls into a boiling tar pit?

a)

The tar preserves the mammoth by preventing decay.

b)

The mammoth is eaten by predators.

c)

The mammoth decomposes quickly.

d)

The mammoth turns to rock immediately.

13.

If a wooly mammoth gets trapped in ice and dies, its body is frozen in the ice, which preserves the organism, even the hair. What is this preservation process called?

a)

Mummification

b)

Fossilization

c)

Cryopreservation

d)

Decomposition

14.

Define a body fossil.

a)

A fossil that consists of the preserved remains of the actual body parts of an organism, such as bones, teeth, or shells.

b)

A fossil that consists of the preserved traces or imprints of an organism's activity, such as footprints or burrows.

c)

A fossil that is formed from the mineralization of organic material over time.

d)

A fossil that is found only in sedimentary rock layers.

15.

Most fossils are found in:

a)

Sedimentary rocks

b)

Igneous rocks

c)

Metamorphic rocks

d)

Volcanic ash

16.

What process measures the decay of isotopes to determine the age of a fossil?

a)

Radiocarbon dating

b)

Thermoluminescence dating

c)

Dendrochronology

d)

Potassium-argon dating

17.

Which of the following could form a fossil? (multiple correct answers)

a)
Bone
b)
Shell
c)
Seeds
d)
All of the above
18.

Which process forms fossils?

a)

variation

b)

adaptation

c)

mineralization

19.

Which of the following is a trace fossil?

a)

Dinosaur footprint

b)

Amber with an insect

c)

Petrified wood

d)

Frozen mammoth

20.

What is amber, and how does it relate to fossils?

a)

Amber is fossilized tree resin that can preserve small organisms.

b)

Amber is a type of sedimentary rock where fossils are found.

c)

Amber is a mineral that replaces organic material in fossils.

d)

Amber is a volcanic rock that contains fossils.

21.

The Law of Superposition states: _________________

a)

That the layers are arranged randomly without any specific order.

b)

In sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

c)
The oldest layers are at the top and the youngest are at the bottom.
d)
All layers are formed simultaneously regardless of age.
22.

Trace fossils are ___________ evidence of organisms activities.

a)
indirect
b)
direct
23.

Body fossils provide ___________ evidence of the organism's physical characteristics.

a)
indirect
b)
direct
24.
Most fossils form when organisms that die become buried in sediments
a)
True
b)
False
25.

Most fossils form in ___________ rock

a)

Volcanic

b)

Metamorphic

c)

Sedimentary