Fossils

Question 1

How are fossils formed?

Answer 1

Body survives long enough after death to undergo fossilisation

Remains must become buried in sediment at the bottom of a water column

Question 2

types of fossils

Answer 2

Igneous- form in volcanoes

Sedimentary- form under water

Metamorphic- form under ground

Question 3

where are fossils found?

Answer 3

in sedimentary rocks

Question 4

what does fossils quality depend on?

Answer 4

State of body at start of process and geological factors

Question 5

what is relative fossil dating?

Answer 5

comparing with fossils of a known age

Question 6

Radio-carbon dating

Answer 6

5730 years after death ½ the C14–> N14

Can work out date of death by examining ratio

Only for fossils up to 40,000 years old

Question 7

volcanic ash detection

Answer 7

Many sediments contain volcanic ash (‘tephra’)

Potassium and argon

Decay more slowly than C14- fossils older than 100,000 years

Question 8

paleomagnetic dating

Answer 8

Currents in Earth’s core change direction of magnetic field ‘Normal’ / ’Reversed’
Determines alignment of magnetic particles when rocks form
Age rocks by comparing the polarity of sediments to cores of rock from sea bed

Question 9

fossil butterflies

Answer 9

65 myr bp

Question 10

mammals diversify

Answer 10

65 myr bp

Question 11

cretaceous period

Answer 11

65-144 myr bp

Question 12

jurassic period

Answer 12

144- 206 myr bp

Question 13

triassic period

Answer 13

206-251 myr bp

Question 14

permian period

Answer 14

251- 290 myr bp

Question 15

carboniferous period

Answer 15

290- 354 myr bp

Question 16

Devonian period

Answer 16

354- 417 myr bp

Question 17

extinction of most dinosaurs

Answer 17

cretaceous period

Question 18

melanosomes

Answer 18

contain the pigment in hair and feathers

Question 19

‘quarry dinosaurs’ lived in this period

Answer 19

Jurassic period

Question 20

triassic period known for

Answer 20

“age of reptiles”

Question 21

ammonites

Answer 21

molluscs with a hard shell

Question 22

fusulinids

Answer 22

protists with a hard shell

Question 23

permian period known for

Answer 23

terrestral tetrapods, arthropods, plants and fungi

Question 24

carboniferous period known for

Answer 24

“giant insects”

Question 25

when was atmospheric oxygen 80% higher than today

Answer 25

Carboniferous period

Question 26

“age of fishes”

Answer 26

Devonian period

Question 27

silurian period

Answer 27

417- 443 myr bp

Question 28

ordovician period

Answer 28

443- 490 myr bp

Question 29

Cambrian ‘explosion’

Answer 29

490- 543 myr bp

Question 30

when did fish evolve and diversify

Answer 30

Silurian period