Fossils

What are fossils?

The remains of once living things that died long ago

What scientists study fossils?

Paleontologist

What can we learn from studying fossils?

We can learn about the kinds of plants and animals that used to live on Earth…as well as what kinds of things animals ate.

What are the 3 types of fossils?

Mold Cast Plant

Which fossil is the shape of a once-living thing left in a sediment when rock formed?

MOLD

Which fossil forms when mud or minerals later fill a mold Which fossil forms when mud or minerals later fill a mold. This has the actual shape of the living thing-without being a real piece of the living thing.

CAST

If a fossilized tooth of a dinosaur is sharp, what do scientists predict it ate? Plants or Meat???

Meat

Why are plant fossils not as common as animal ones?

Because plants are a lot more fragile and don’t usually survive the process of becoming a fossil

Why are more fossils found in sedimentary rocks than in others?

Because the sediment covers the fossil over time Because the sediment covers the fossil over time. Heat and pressure from metamorphic and igneous rock often destroy any animal or plant remains

Are the fossils found on the very bottom of a layer of rock older or newer than other layers?

OLDER. They started out a long time ago and were covered by newer ones on top

How are footprint fossils different than bone fossils?

Footprint fossils are cast fossils Footprint fossils are cast fossils. They are the shape or imprint of an animal or plant.

Bone fossils are mold fossils Bone fossils are mold fossils. They are an actual piece of the living thing.

Which of these is not a fossil. Why. A. a cast of a seashell B Which of these is not a fossil? Why? A. a cast of a seashell B. A footprint of a dinosaur C. A chunk of petrified wood D. a bone of an elephant

An elephant bone…because elephants are not extinct.

What might scientists learn from a fern fossil What might scientists learn from a fern fossil? A: what color the fern was B: which animals ate the fern C: How ferns have changed D: which other plants lived at the same time

How ferns have changed

What can you infer about a place that has fish fossils?

That place was once under water (sea).

What can a footprint tell you about the animal that made it?

The animal’s size