Fossils Study Guide Flashcards
What is a fossil?
The remains or impression of a prehistoric life.
What kind of food do you think a T-Rex mostly ate?
Meat.
If this fossil was found in the desert, what would it tell you about Earth’s history?
There was once water there, but now it is desert.
When a fossil forms, which event happens last?
Heavy layers of sediment pile on, creating pressure.
Which type of fossil forms when a mold gets filled with sediment and it hardens into rock?
Trace.
How long does it take for a fossil to form in nature?
Thousands or even millions of years.
What is a living organism?
A plant, animal, or anything that is alive.
What is a characteristic of this animal that you can learn from studying this fossil? (Animal has flat teeth).
It has flat teeth and may have eaten plants.
What can we learn from studying fossils?
History of the Earth. When plants and animals first developed. The environment and how some dinosaurs reproduced.
What does it mean when something is extinct?
A plant or animal that was once living is now all gone.
What is a paleontologist?
A scientist that studies fossils.
What types of information can we learn about an animal from its fossil?
It gives us clues about organisms while they were alive.
BONUS Which one is the state fossil of Tennessee?
Pterotrigonia thoracica.
