2017 Mod7 Flashcards
Define the following terms:
A. Fossil
The preserved remains of once – living organisms
B. Petrifaction
The conversion of organic material into rock
C. Resin
A thick, slowly flowing liquid produced by plants that hardens into a solid
D. Extinct
A term applied to a species that was living but now is not
When a plant or animal dies, what is the most likely thing that will happen to its remains?
They will decay
Which forms first: I fossil mold or a fossil cast?
The fossil mold
Describe the process of a cast forming, indicate when the mold has formed and when the cast has formed
The cast is when another substance fills a mold of a fossil/creature/shell
What is required in order for petrifaction to occur?
Mineral rich water
Why does petrifaction usually produce fossils with more information than fossil casts?
Softer part are preserved
Can you learn much about the thickness of an organism from carbonized remains?
No
What type of organism is most likely to leave carbonized remains?
plants
What is so nice about fossils that have been incased in amber or ice?
Soft parts are preserved
What are the four general features of the fossil record?
- fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock
- The majority of fossils are hard – shelled creatures
- many fossils living “relatives”
- fossils can be very different in layers of rock
What kind of creature make it to mass majority of the fossil record?
Hard-shelled creatures
Approximately how many species of plants and animals in the last 400 years: one hundred, one thousand, 10,000, or 100,000?
Just over 1100 species
