A
An imprint or remains of something that lived long ago.
What is a FOSSIL?
Hardened tree sap that can preserve an organism’s true form.
What is AMBER or TRUE FORM FOSSILS?
Fossil made inside a mold when minerals seep in.
What is a CAST?
Shallow print or mark in solid rock. Usually made in soft mud, the mud then dries, hardens, and turns to rock.
What is an IMPRINT?
Empty space in rock where something once was.
What is a MOLD?
Scientists who learn about the past through studying fossils.
Who is a PALEONTOLOGIST?
Any living thing is called this.
What is an ORGANISM?
When a plant or animal no longer exists or died out.
What is EXTINCT?
When an animal or plant dies, its ______ parts decay.
What is SOFT?
Animals are more likely to become fossilized than plants.
True or False
What is TRUE?
The soft parts of plants are more likely to decay over time. However, animals usually leave behind hard parts- bone, teeth, and shells, that are more likely to become fossilized.
This is the main type of plant in the fossil record.
What is a FERN?
Hard parts of an animal that are more likely to become fossilized.
What are BONES, TEETH, or SHELLS?
Name an extinct animal.
What is a (woolly mammoth, saber-toothed cat, dodo bird, passenger pigeon, mastodon, golden toad)?
Look up any others
These are tools paleontologists use to carefully excavate fossils and clean them.
What are (brushes, dental picks, chisel and hammer, toothbrushes)?
These animals only eat plants.
What are herbivores?
A paleontologist finds a fossil of an animal's head. It has large flat teeth. This tell us that the animal was ______________.
What is an HERBIVORE?
These are the fossils we discovered on the Blue Ridge Mountains at the beginning of the unit.
What are trilobites?
These is one way to help protect endangered animals.
Each team can earn 400 points for this if they can continue naming ways to protect these animals.
What is (volunteering, bringing awareness to endangered animals, researching, visiting animal protection centers, raising money, organizing a club, clean-up events)?
Accept all reasonable answers.
To donate your time without pay to a cause you believe in.
What is VOLUNTEER?
These animals eat only meat.
What are CARNIVORES?
*Difficulty level=high*
My job is to work with paleontologists, other scientists, and even artists to arrange displays of fossils, minerals, and art to preserve our history and share it with others.
What is a MUSEUM CURATOR?
A paleontologist finds multiple fossil pieces of an animal's body. They found the sharp teeth and a few claws. This tell us that the animal was ______________.
What is a CARNIVORE?
A dead plant or animal is covered by ________ like silt, sand, or clay in order for a fossil to form.
What is SEDIMENT?
When a species is at risk of extinction and must be protected.
What is ENDANGERED?
Many mountains were once ___________. We know this because we find sea creature fossils in places like the Blue Ridge mountains.
What is UNDERWATER?