Chapter 4 section 1 - Fossils

Hard parts

- Bones - Teeth - Shell - Seeds - Woody stems

Fossil types

- Mold - Cast - Petrified - Carbon film - Trace fossil

Footprints are evidence of...

- Size - Behavior - Group or alone - 2 legs or four - Weight - Texture - Species - Speed - Climate - Time - Pace

Paleontologist

A scientist who studies fossils to learn about organisms that lived long ago.

Carbon film

A type of fossil consisting of an extremely thin coating of carbon on rock.

Trace fossil

A type of fossil that provides evidence of the activities of ancient organisms.

Scientific theory

A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.

Mold

A fossil formed when an organism buried in sediment dissolves, leaving a hollow area.

Petrified fossil

A fossil in which minerals replace all or part of an organism.

Cast

A fossil that is a copy of an organism's shape, formed when minerals seep into a mold.

Extinct

Describes a type of organism that no longer exists anywhere on Earth.

What are the different kinds of fossils?

Fossils found in rock include molds and casts, petrified fossils, carbon films, and trace fossils. Other fossils form when the remains of organisms are preserved in substances such as tar, amber, or ice.

How do fossils form?

Most fossils form when living things die and are buried by sediments. The sediments slowly harden into rock and preserve the shapes of the organisms.

What does the fossil record tell about the organisms and environments of the past?

The fossil record provides evidence about the history of life and past environments on Earth. The fossil record also shows that different groups of organisms have changed over time.

Fossil

The preserved remains or traces of living things.

Evolution

The process by which all the different kinds of living things have changed over time.

Sedimentary rock

The type of rock that is made of hardened sediment.