General Science - Fossil Questions
What is a Trace Fossil?
A fossil that provides some evidence of an ancient organism's activities
What happens during Fossilization?
Living material is replaced by minerals
What is The Fossil Record?
A record of the history of life on Earth as indicated by Fossils
What is a Cast Fossil?
A replica of the original fossil that is made when minerals or lava fill in a mold fossil
What is a Mold Fossil?
A space in the rock that has the shape of an organism left behind
What percent of the animals that once lived on Earth are preserved in the Fossil Record?
About 0.1%
What percent of fossils are Land Animals?
About 1%
What percent of fossils are Marine Animals?
About 99%
What percent of the animals that once lived on Earth are NOT preserved in the Fossil Record?
About 99.9%
What are the main types of fossils?
Body Fossils and Trace Fossils
What are some examples of Body Fossils?
Bones, shells, and body imprints
What happens during Carbonization?
Carbon replaces an organism
What are Fossil Fuels?
Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are formed from the ancient remains of plants and animals
What are some examples of Trace Fossils?
Footprints, tracks, trails, and burrows
What is Amber?
Fossilized tree sap
What are Altered Remains?
Fossils that have been chemically changed during fossilization
What are the most common methods that create Unaltered Remains?
Freezing, falling in tar pits, mummification, and being trapped in amber
What are the most common methods that create Altered Remains?
Mineralization, Carbonization, and Petrification
What happens during Mineralization?
Minerals replace an organism
Who is Amber?
Ms. Joyner
What happens during Petrification?
Organic material turns to stone
What are Unaltered Remains?
Organisms preserved in their original form
What is Sediment?
Small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things
What is Paleontology?
The Study of Fossils
What is a Body Fossil?
The actual remains of an organis
What is Evolution?
The gradual change in an organism over time
What is a Fossil?
The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past
