4.6.3.5 Fossils

Question 1

What are fossils?

Answer 1

• the remains of organisms from millions of years ago
• found in rocks

Question 2

What are fossils formed from?

Answer 2

• parts of organisms that haven’t decayed as there was a lack of oxygen or moisture
• parts of the organism are replaced by minerals as they decay which form a rock structure
• preserved traces remain due to ground hardening

Question 3

Why can’t fossils be used to tell us how life started on Earth?

Answer 3

• most early life forms were soft-bodied so decay completely resulting in few traces
• any traces left have been destroyed by geological activity

Question 4

What are fossils used for?

Answer 4

• to show anatomy of organisms that have changed over time
• can be used to compare related organisms (info. used to create evolutionary trees)