Fossils as Evidence for Evolution Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a fossil

A

remains of organisms from millions of years ago found in rock

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2
Q

What are the two types of fossil

A

mineral replacement fossil

trace fossils

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3
Q

What is a trace fossil

A

a footprint

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4
Q

What is a mineral replacement fossil

A

Minerals from surrounding sediment replace the bones

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5
Q

What are the 4 important features of the fossil dicovery

A

shows organism existed that are now extinct

gives clues into lifecycle of extinct organisms

give clues into diet of organism

SEE SIMILARITIES between organisms then and now

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6
Q

Why is the fossil record not complete (3)

A

not all organisms become fossils due to decay

fossils are hard to extract

fossils may have been destroyed due to geological activity

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7
Q

What is extinction

A

no remaining living members of that species

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8
Q

What causes extinction (5)

A

environmental causes
new predators
new diseases
new competitors
natural disasters

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9
Q

What can fossils directly show us

A

features between different organisms can show us how species evolved from earlier ancestors

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