C3.2.4 - Lessons from Fossils Flashcards
What is a fossil?
The reamins or traces of plants or animals that lived millions of years ago. They have been preserved by natural processes.
Why do most plants or animals not form fossils when they die?
Becuase ususally an animal would eat them or they would rot away.
What sorts of places would you be likely to find a fossil?
Areas where volcanoes have erupted.
Areas where there have been rivers.
Explain the process of fossilisation.
- An animal dies and falls into mud or sand.
- More mud or sand quickly buries the body.
- Bacteria break down the soft partsof the body. Only the skeleton remains.
- The mud or sand turns into rock.
- Water seeps into new rock and mineralises the skeleton.
- Many years later, the rock surrounding the fossil is eroded, revealing the fossil.
What does the picture show?
An animal dying and falling into mud or sand.
What does the picture show?
Mud and sand burying the remains of an animal
What does the picture show?
Bacteria breaking down the soft parts of the body. Only the skeleton remains.
What does the picture show?
Mud and sand above/below the body is turning into rock
What does the picture show?
Water seeps into the rock and the skeleton undergoes mineralisation.
What does the picture show?
After many years, rock around the fossil is eroded and the fossil is exposed.
The oldest rock is found where?
At the deepest point underground (the deepest strata)
Layers of rock are called…
strata
