Fossils 1
What is paleontology?
The study of fossil remains
What is a fossil?
The preserved remains of an animal that was once living/alive
T OR F: Rock layers at the bottom are older while rock layers on the top are younger
TRUE
This rock type is made from lava that is cooled
Igneous Rock
The first dinosaurs appeared during this time period
Jurassic Period
Eras are divided into smaller units of time called
Periods
What are the 5 fossil types:
Mold
Cast
Petrified
Carbon
Trace
This scientist studies fossil remains and records their findings in the fossil record
Paleontologist
Fossils can be reserved in the following 3 materials
Tar, Amber, Ice
T OR F: Rocks never change and always remain the same
FALSE
This rock type is formed by heat and pressure
Metamorphic Rock
According to Paleontologists, Earth is this many years old
4.5/4.6 million years old
Out of the 4 time periods, the largest section of time is
Eon
What do Index Fossils tell us about rocks
The relative age of them
Most fossils are found i this type of rock
Sedimentary Rock
This occurs when a large group of animals no longer exists
Extinction
The process by which a rock breaks down
Weathering
The 2 types of weathering processes are called:
Chemical weathering and mechanical weathering
What Era did dinosaurs exist in?
Mesozoic Era
The Geologic Time Scale is separated into 4 seperate parts. The parts are:
Eons, Eras, Epochs, and Periods
What is stratigraphy?
The order/study of rock layers
An example of this fossil type is an animals footprint left behind
Trace Fossil
Shells and bones are an example of this type of fossil
Body fossil
This natural process occurs when broken material and rock is moved from one location to another
Erosion
The 3 rock types include:
Metamorphic, Igneous, and Sedimentary
What era do we currently live in?
What determines when a time period begins/ends?
Mass Extinction
List the 4 steps of Fossilization
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Animal Dies
2. The skin/muscles decompose
3. The bones soak up the minerals
4. It then becomes a body fossil
This fossil type is widely distributed and shows existence of an animal that only existed for a short period of time
Index Fossil
Explain absolute age
The actual age of a rock/object in years
Explain relative age
The age of a rock COMPARED to rocks that are nearby
A sequence of events over time is called:
Chronology
The 4 geologic eras are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Zoic
2. Paleozoic
3. Mesozoic
4. Cenozoic