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Fossil Study Guide

Total questions: 37

Worksheet time: 19mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What does it mean when a kind of animal or plant is extinct?

a)

It means that no more of that kind of animal or plant exists.

b)

It means that the animal or plant is very rare.

c)

It means that the animal or plant is dangerous.

d)

It means that the animal or plant has moved to a new location.

2.

What does it mean when a species is endangered?

a)

It means the species is at risk of extinction.

b)

It means the species is very common.

c)

It means the species is only found in zoos.

d)

It means the species is not affected by environmental changes.

3.

Before a species becomes extinct, it usually:

a)

experiences a decline in population

b)

increases in population rapidly

c)

remains stable in population

d)

becomes the dominant species

4.

A fossil is:

a)

the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms

b)

a type of living animal

c)

a modern plant

d)

a recently discovered mineral

5.

What body parts usually turn into fossils?

a)

Soft tissues

b)

Bones and teeth

c)

Hair and skin

d)

Blood vessels

6.

What do flat teeth tell us about what a dinosaur ate?

a)

Flat teeth tell us that a dinosaur ate plants.

b)

Flat teeth tell us that a dinosaur ate meat.

c)

Flat teeth tell us that a dinosaur ate insects.

d)

Flat teeth tell us that a dinosaur ate fish.

7.

Sharp teeth tell us about a dinosaur’s diet.

a)

They ate mostly plants.

b)

They ate mostly meat.

c)

They only ate fish.

d)

They did not eat at all.

8.

Fossil nests and eggs provide information about dinosaur families by showing:

a)

how dinosaurs cared for their young

b)

the color of dinosaur eggs

c)

the exact number of dinosaurs in a family

d)

what dinosaurs ate

9.

Jellyfish fossils are very rare because:

a)

their bodies are soft and decompose quickly, leaving little trace

b)

they live only in deep ocean environments

c)

they are too small to be preserved as fossils

d)

they are made mostly of minerals that dissolve easily

10.

What kind of body parts are most likely to become fossils?

a)

Soft tissues

b)

Bones and teeth

c)

Hair and skin

d)

Organs

11.

For a dead animal to become a fossil, what needs to happen?

a)

It must be quickly buried by sediment.

b)

It must be exposed to sunlight for a long time.

c)

It must be eaten by scavengers.

d)

It must be left on the surface to decay.

12.

Coral fossils might be found on top of mountains because:

a)

mountains were once under the sea

b)

corals can survive at high altitudes

c)

mountains are made of coral

d)

coral fossils are blown by the wind to mountain tops

13.

Palm tree fossils in Antarctica tell us about the climate long ago.

a)

Antarctica was once much warmer than it is today.

b)

Antarctica has always been covered in ice.

c)

Palm trees can survive in freezing temperatures.

d)

Antarctica was once a desert.

14.

Palm trees cannot live in Antarctica today because:

a)

the climate is too cold for them to survive

b)

there is too much sunlight year-round

c)

the soil is too sandy for their roots

d)

there is not enough water available

15.

An adaptation is:

a)

a characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment

b)

a type of food that animals eat

c)

a place where an organism lives

d)

a process of migration during winter

16.

What does it mean to “infer” something from a fossil?

a)

To draw a conclusion based on evidence from the fossil

b)

To create a fossil from scratch

c)

To ignore the fossil's evidence

d)

To destroy the fossil to learn more

17.

A fossil animal with thick fur probably lived in which kind of environment?

a)

A cold environment

b)

A desert environment

c)

A tropical rainforest

d)

A dry grassland

18.

Environments have stayed the same or changed over time.

a)

Environments have changed over time.

b)

Environments have always stayed the same.

c)

Environments have never existed.

d)

Environments only change in some places.

19.

When did the dinosaurs go extinct?

a)

About 65 million years

b)

About 10 million years

c)

About 500 million years

d)

About 67 million years

20.

What happened when a huge rock from space hit Earth?

a)

It caused mass extinction of many species.

b)

It created a new mountain range.

c)

It made the oceans disappear.

d)

It turned the sky green.

21.

What other event might have caused the extinction?

a)

A massive volcanic eruption

b)

A global ice age

c)

A sudden increase in oxygen levels

d)

The formation of new mountain ranges

22.

Which type of fossil is seen here?

a)

cast

b)

mold

c)

Whole body fossil

d)

trace

23.

A Foot Print is and Example of What Kind of Fossil?

a)

Mold Fossil

b)

Trace Fossil

c)

Cast Fossil

d)

All Fossils are the same

24.
What is an imprint fossil?
a)
Petrified wood
b)
A cast
c)
Bone
d)
An animal track
25.

Which of the following is most likely to be preserved as a fossil?

a)

A leaf floating on water

b)

A worm crawling on the surface

c)

A feather blown by the wind

d)

A seashell buried in mud

26.

A footprint left in the mud by a dinosaur.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

27.

A shell-shaped hole in a rock.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

28.
  1. A fossil made by minerals filling in a mold and hardening.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

29.
  1. A fossil of a whole insect trapped in amber.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

30.
  1. A trail left by a crawling animal.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

31.
  1. A mark left by a leaf that made an imprint in the rock

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

32.
  1. A copy of an organism made from rock.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

33.
  1. A fossil showing a dinosaur’s nest and eggs.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

34.
  1. A fossil made when a mold is filled and becomes a copy of the original shape.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

35.
  1. A fossil of a mammoth frozen in ice.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

36.
  1. Insects are found in a sticky tree substance called resin.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold

37.
  1. Fossils that are not actual body parts.

a)

Cast

b)

Trace

c)

Whole Body

d)

Mold