Fossil Formation
what is the definition of a fossil
a fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a living thing that lived a long time ago
how do fossils provide evidence for how life has changed over time
they show forms of life that no longer exist, and show how organisms have changed over million of years
where did Mary Annining live and search for fossils
on the cliffs of lyme regis, on the Jurrasic coast in Dorset England
What was the name of Charles darwin's most famous book
on the orgin of species
what is inheritance
the passing on of one characteristics from parent plants or animals to their offspring
name one of the key steps in the fossilisation process
the organism dies; it remains are buried by sediment; minerals replace the remains; over millions of years rock formed around it
what does the term "evolution" mean?
the change in living things over long periods of time, so living things today have descended from earlier forms
what did mary anning discover that made her "famous"
the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton
what idea did the book explain
the theory of evolution by natural selection
what is a cast fossil
a fossil formed when the orginal organism decays and minerals fill the cavity, forming a replica pf the organism's shape
true or false: fossils form quickly, in just a few years
false- it takes thousands or millions of years
which famous fossil-hunter from the early 19th century was only given credit for the findings many years later in life
what was mary anning's work important to science
her fossil discoveries provided evidence that some animals from the past were very different from those living today-helping scientist understand extinction and change over time
what did charles darwin notice about finches on the galapogos islands
they had different beak shapes based on their food source
what is meant by fossil record
the totality of fossil discoveries which give us a timeline of life on Earth and show changes in organisms over time
what type of fossil is created when an organism's footprint or burrow is preserved, rather than its body
a trace fossil
if you look at two fossils of the same species from different eras, what might be suggested if one had stronger limbs than the other
that over time the species adapted (perhaps longer limbs became more beneficial) - showing evolution of morphology
mary anning faced many challenges name one
if you find a marine fossil high up on a mountain, what might this tell you about earths history
that the area was once under sea level
explain how the study of fossils links to the idea that species have common ancestors
because fossils can show transitional forms. shifting features, or extinct species that share traits with living species- suggesting descent from earlier life forms and branching of lineages
why are sedimentary rocks particularly important for fossil formation
because sedimentary rocks form from deposition of sediment which can bury and preserve remains; they provide the right conditions for fossil forms
give one reason why the fossil record is incomplete (why we do not have fossils for every organism that ever lived)
because many organisms decompose without a trace, or conditions weren't right for fossilisation, or rock layers have been destroyed or changed
what phrased inspired her discoveries became associated with her work and the cliffs of Lyme Regis
she sells seashells by the seashore
why was charles darwin's theory controversial when 1st published
it challenged existing beliefs about creation and how life began
Where does the word "fossil" come from?
It comes from the latin word "fossilis", which means "dug up"