Term 4 Flashcards
What are fossils?
Fossils are remains of plants and animals found in rocks.
How are fossils formed?
When an animal or plant dies, it is covered by sediment and over a long period, more layers are formed and rock forms.
How is a model of the animal created?
Scientists reconstruct the animal using bones.
Give an example of body fossil
Bones, teeth, shells, stems, leaves
Give an example of trace fossils
Footprints, eggs, nest, droppings
What can teeth tell us about the animal?
Teeth tell us whether the animal was a herbivore or carnivore.
What do footprints tell us about the animal?
Footprints tell us the speed, stride, whether it walked on 2 or 4 feet, bone structure of the foot
What do eggs tell us about the animal?
The embryo helps us match the egg to an animal.
What do Nests tell us about the animal?
Nests are made from sticks, clay and grass and it tell s us about the nurturing behavior.
What do droppings tell us about the animal?
Droppings tell us what the animal ate.
What is a skeleton?
Structure of the animal
Why are fossils important
They tell us about the animals from long ago.
Explain the coelacanth
Lung fish that was thought to have died 65 million years ago but in 1938 a live fish was found in east africa
Explain African dinosaurs
Many dinosaur fossils have been found in South Africa dating back to 221 million years. Remains of the massospondylus
Where is the Cradle of Humankind?
Gauteng just outside of Johannesburg (Sterkfonein Region)
