The Fossil Record Flashcards
Define: Petrifaction
The conversion of organic material into rock.
Define: Organism
Any living biological entity such as an animal, plant, fungus or bacterium. Organisms are composed of one or more cells.
Define: Resin
A thick, slow flowing liquid produced by plants that can harden into a solid.
Define: Extinct
A term that is applied to a species that was once living but now is not.
When a plant or animal dies, what is the most likely thing that will happen to its remains?
Most likely they will decompose. Fossilization is a rare exception to this general rule.
Which form first, a fossil mold or a fossil cast?
A fossil mold forms first. If a cast forms, it forms later when the mold is filled with sediment or magna.
What is required in order for petrifaction to occur?
Petrifaction requires water that has a lot of minerals in it.
Define: Fossil
The preserved remains of a once living organism.
