Evidence for Evolution: Fossil Fuels.

Question 1

What are fossils?

Answer 1

- Remains of organisms from millions of years ago.
E.g:
- Skeleton made from rock.
- Impressions in the ground.
-  Organisms that haven't decayed yet.

Question 2

Why are studying fossils important?

Answer 2

• Learn about extinct organisms.
• How organisms have changed in the past (Provides evidence for evolution).
  able to see the Small, Incremental changes over the years.

Question 3

How are fossils showed?

Answer 3

• 3 main ways.
• Gradual replacement by minerals.
• Casts and impressions.
• Preseravation (No decay at all).

Question 4

What is gradual replacement by minerals means?

Answer 4

• Body Parts decay slowly, as they decay they get gradually replaced by minerals and forms rock like substance.
• Same shape + Size as original structures.
• Produces a perfect model of the bone or turf it was made from.

Question 5

What is casts and impressions?

Answer 5

• Cast: Organisms is buried in a soft material e.g clay. as the material hardens the organism decays and we are left with a gap the same size and shape as the organism.

Impressions: Footprints,

Question 6

What is preservation?

Answer 6

• No decay happens at all.
• Happens when Organisms get stuck in amber.
• Tar pits.
• As there is no oxygen and moisture no decay can take place so organism remains in tact.
• Can happens in Glaciers (too cold) for microorganisms.
• Peat Bogs: Too acidic for microorganisms.

Question 7

Why don’t we know how life first developed?

Answer 7

• Early life forms= Soft bodied: Decayed quickly.
• ## Fossil formed long ago= Destroyed in the time since (Volcanoes, Earth quake, larger geological activity e.g: Moving of tectonic plates).

Question 8

What is extinction?

Answer 8

- No individuals of that species remains.
Reasons:
- Environment changes too quickly.
- New Predator E.g: Human hunting. 
- New disease.
- New species that out competes them.
- Catastrophic event.