exeptional preservation

Question 1

Pyritization

Answer 1

The process where organic materials are replaced by pyrite during fossilizatio

Question 2

Silicification

Answer 2

The process where silica replaces the original material of a fossil

Question 3

Mold and Cast

Answer 3

This is when a fossil leaves an imprint which is then filled in.

Question 4

Carbonization

Answer 4

A process where organic material is reduced to a thin film of carbon, typically preserving plant fossils as dark carbon-rich impressions

Question 5

Trace Fossil

Answer 5

Indirect evidence of past life, such as footprints, burrows, or feeding marks, which provide information about the behavior of organisms rather than what they look like

Question 6

Body Fossil

Answer 6

Fossils that represent the actual physical remains of an organism, such as bones, teeth, shells, or plant leaves.

Question 7

Replacement

Answer 7

A fossilization process in which the original material of an organism is replaced with minerals over time, typically preserving the structure but not the original material.

Question 8

Precipitation

Answer 8

The process by which dissolved minerals in groundwater crystallize and form solid mineral deposits, often contributing to the fossilization of remains by mineral infill

Question 9

Anoxic

Answer 9

An environment lacking oxygen, which slows down decomposition and helps preserve organic materials, such as in certain fossil-forming marine sediments

Question 10

Anaerobic

Answer 10

Refers to conditions or organisms that exist in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic environments help in fossil preservation by limiting decay processes driven by oxygen-dependent organisms

Question 11

Decomposition

Answer 11

The breakdown of organic matter by biological or chemical processes. In fossilization, rapid burial or anoxic conditions slow decomposition, allowing preservation.

Question 12

Dissolving

Answer 12

The process where minerals or organic material dissolve due to chemical interactions with water, often creating spaces or cavities that can later be filled with minerals

Question 13

Groundwater

Answer 13

Water that exists below the Earth’s surface, which plays a role in fossilization by depositing minerals during processes like silicification or replacement.

Question 14

Hard Parts

Answer 14

The durable components of organisms, such as bones, teeth, shells, or exoskeletons, which are more likely to fossilize than soft tissues.