Section 1- Fossils Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is a fossil?
The preserved remains or traces of living things.
What type of rock are fossils usually found?
Sedimentary rock.
What are the different kinds of fossils?
Molds and casts, petrified fossils, carbon films, and trace fossils.
What are petrified fossils usually preserved in?
Tar, amber, or ice.
What is a mold?
A hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism or part of an organism.
What is a cast?
A solid copy of the shape of an organism.
What are petrified fossils?
Fossils in which minerals replace all or part of an organism.
What is a carbon film?
An extremely thin coating of carbon on rock.
What are trace fossils?
They provide evidence of the activities of ancient organisms (i.e. claws, paw print, eggs,…)
What are paleontologists?
Scientists that study fossils.
What is a scientific theory?
A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.
What is evolution?
The gradual change in living things over long periods of time.
What does it mean to be extinct?
To no longer exist and never live on earth again.
What are two things that scientists can learn from the fossil record?
That fossils occur in a particular order (older fossils with simpler organisms, younger fossils with more complex organisms) and that many organisms have evolved and become extinct.
Why are fossils not found in igneous or metamorphic rocks?
Igneous rocks form in molten lava so there cannot be an organism preserved in it.
Metamorphic rocks form under to much heat and pressure. Only under rare occasions would you find fossils in Metamorphic rock.
Why is it important for an organism to be buried quickly in order to become a fossil?
Decomposers might decompose the insides. Gases get trapped inside the organism and makes it float (for sea creatures).
Scavengers or erosion might take the bones to different areas.
