Vocabulary
What is an organism?
Any living thing.
What are two examples of adaptations an animal might have to survive in its environment?
Being small and fast, having camouflage, sharp claws, better hearing or eyesight.
Name two types of fast environmental changes.
Wildfire, flood, earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption.
What is a fossil?
A fossil is the remaining pieces or trace of an organism that lived long ago.
What is an environment?
All of the living and nonliving things that surround an organism.
An organism must meet its ______ in an environment in order to survive.
Needs. (food, water, shelter, etc.)
Name two types of slow environmental changes.
Rock wearing away, temperature change, invasive species, resource removal.
What are the three types of fossils?
Trace, Whole Body, Mold/Cast.
What is an adaptation?
A behavior or body part that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
Name at least two of the benefits to being a social animal (living in a group).
Raising young, hunting, protection, and coping with environmental changes.
Which natural resource cannot be replaced in nature: metals, trees, water, or air?
Metals
What are the two most accepted theories surrounding dinosaur extinction?
1. A huge rock from space crashed into Earth.
2. A huge volcanic eruption could have occurred.
Both answers let scientists infer that the darkness from ash or dust could have killed off plants and animals alike. They were not adapted for the changed environment.
What is the difference between extinct and endangered?
If something is endangered it is in danger of going extinct. Extinction is when all individuals of that species have died.
Define biodiversity. Which two habitats (that we've learned about) have the highest biodiversity?
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in an ecosystem. The amount of different species. The Rainforest and Coral Reefs have the greatest biodiversity.
What does it mean to infer something in science?
To use evidence to draw a conclusion. Scientists infer facts about animals and their environments from fossils.
What type of teeth would you expect a carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore to have?
Carnivores have longer sharp teeth for tearing meat, whereas herbivores have flat teeth for grinding plants. Omnivores have a mix of both as they eat plants and meat.
Name the 3 types of fossils and what each one shows or tells us about the organism and its environment.
Trace - give hints about how an animal lived. (Number of legs; if it walked, ran or hopped.)
Mold/Cast - is a hollow space in a rock shaped like the organism part that formed it.
Whole Body - some fossils, especially those of insects, are found in a sticky tree substance called resin. As it dries, the resin turns into a hard substance called amber, which preserves the organism.