What is a Fossil
What is a Fossil?
The remains or traces of a plant or animal from long ago.
What kind of fossil shows the actual remains of an organism?
A body fossil
What must happen quickly for a fossil to form?
The organism must be buried quickly
What is evolution?
Change in living things over time
What do we call scientists who study fossils?
Paleontologists.
What are two examples of fossils?
Bones, Teeth, Footprints, or shells
What type of fossil shows footprints or tracks?
A trace fossil
What usually covers an organism to start fossilization?
Sediment like mud or sand.
What does extinction mean?
A species no longer exists.
What tool might a paleontologist use to dig fossils?
A brush or small tool.
Why are fossils usually found in sedimentary rock?
Bc sedimentary rock forms in layers and can protect remains.
What type of fossil forms when minerals replace the original material?
A petrified fossil
What happens to soft parts over time?
The decay
What evidence shows organisms changed over time?
Fossils
What do rock layers tell scientists?
The relative age of fossils.
What does a fossil tell us about life long ago?
How plants and animals lived in the past.
What is a mold fossil?
A hollow impression left in a rock
What process turns sediment into rock?
Compaction and cementation
Why do some species go extinct?
They cant adapt to changes
Climate change, lack of food, predators.
What does a deeper fossil usually mean?
It is older.
Why are fossils important to scientists?
They help scientists learn about Earths history and evolution.
What is a cast fossil?
A copy formed when a mold fills with minerals.
Why do all living things become fossils?
Most decay or are destroyed before fossilization
How do fossils help scientists study extinction?
They show when species disappeared.
How do fossils support the theory of evolution?
They show organisms changing over time.