Fossils Flashcards
Fossils
Ancient life preserved in rock
Paleontology
The study of fossils
Steps to form fossils:
Organism dies
Protection from destruction (buried) Hardness of structure
Things you can learn from fossils:
Size of organism
How fast it moved
If it moved in herds or not
Climate
Why is fossil record incomplete?
- most organisms don’t become fossils
- many fossils haven’t been discovered yet
Original Remains
An organism is entirely preserved; frozen or in Amber or tar
Permineralized Remains
Remains are slowly replaced by minerals
Mold
Hard part of organism decays and leaves behind a cavity
Cast
Sediment enters a mold, hardens, and forms a copy of the original organism (3D)
Trace Fossils
Indirect evidence of life
May include impressions left in rock like footprints, burrows, or trails
Carbonaceous Films
Only fossil trace is a thin carbon film silhouette
Result of high heat and pressure
Carbonized plant material becomes coal
Coprolite
Animal waste
