Fossil Types
This fossil is a part of a plant or animal that has been preserved.
Body fossil
What has to happen first for a fossil to form?
It must be buried in sediment.
Where is the oldest layer of rock in a core sample usually found?
At the bottom
What are the three types of rock?
Sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous
Luster, streak, hardness, color, texture
This fossil is the impression left behind by a plant or animal.
What happens to the soft tissue of plants or animals?
It decays or rots.
What can scientists learn from fossils?
Answers may vary.
Name three tectonic hazards.
Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis
This fossil is when the impression left by a plant or animal gets filled in with sediment and hardens to form a three dimensional model of the plant or animal.
Cast fossil
What happens to the hard tissue of plants or animals?
It is replaced by minerals.
What is a core sample?
A vertical section of rock that shows the different layers of Earth
Where do most volcanoes occur?
Along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the Ring of Fire
This fossil is something left behind by a plant or animal that is not a part of its body.
Trace fossil
What environment is the best for creating fossils?
A wet environment such as a riverbed, lake, ocean, etc.
What is an index fossil?
A fossil whose age is known to scientists allowing them to identify the age of the rock that it is found in
Name three things that cause erosion.
Water, glaciers, wind, gravity
What are two examples of trace fossils?
Footprints, nests, etc.
What type of rock usually contains fossils?
Sedimentary
What is a key bed?
A layer of rock whose age scientists can identify based on its characteristics and the fossils found there
What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering is the process of rock being broken down and erosion is the process of rock being carried away.