remains or traces of ancient life

all fossils that have existed throughout life's history whether they have been found or not

People who study fossils and other types of evidence to learn about life in the past

questions that fossils can help us answer

1) what type of organisms exist in the past 2) what did the land look like

things that can make up a fossil

bones, shells, teeth, plant leaves

4 types of trace fossils

burrow, animal trails, footprints, nests

Example of trace fossil and body fossil

Petrified wood is the body fossil and teeth marks in wood left by beaver is the trace fossil

How are fossils formed

1) organisms dies 2) covered by sediment 3) layers harden into sedimentary rock 4) organism trapped in rock layers

Why is burial of organism important in the fossilization process

buiral protects the organism from destructive forces

Why is slow burial of organism not cause it to become a fossil

slow burial allow time for it to be exposed to things that could destroy the organism before it fossilizes

what are some of the destructive forces that might prevent a dead organism from fossilizing. (discuss abiotic and biotic factors)

Abiotic factors: water wind weather ice Biotic factors: decomposers, scavengers, predators

Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - MOLD

Imprints left from something behind that was buried

Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - CAST

Forms when sediments leak into the mold and harden, which creates a copy of the organism

Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - MINERALIZARTIOn (petrified)

When minerals carried in the water build up in the spaces of an organism and turn to rock

Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - IMPRESSION

prints or marks made when an organism has been flattened

why are hard body structures more likely to be preserved than soft body structures

soft tissues are easily destroyed by biotic or abiotic factors

type of environments are best for fossilization

benthic ocean - sediments brought from land by runoff enter the ocean and quickly cover dead organisms. Lakes - organisms can end up at the bottom of the lake where sediments can cover them

why is fossil record incomplete

most organisms are destroyed before they become fossils

What has to occur for a fossil to be found

weathering and erosion has to occur on the rock layer to expose the fossil.

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Fossils

fossils

Question	Answer
origin of the word fossil?	Fossililis
Fossil	remains or traces of ancient life
Age of true fossil	at least 10,000 years old
Fossil record	all fossils that have existed throughout life's history whether they have been found or not
Paleontologist	People who study fossils and other types of evidence to learn about life in the past
questions that fossils can help us answer	1) what type of organisms exist in the past 2) what did the land look like
things that can make up a fossil	bones, shells, teeth, plant leaves
4 types of trace fossils	burrow, animal trails, footprints, nests
Example of trace fossil and body fossil	Petrified wood is the body fossil and teeth marks in wood left by beaver is the trace fossil
How are fossils formed	1) organisms dies 2) covered by sediment 3) layers harden into sedimentary rock 4) organism trapped in rock layers
Why is burial of organism important in the fossilization process	buiral protects the organism from destructive forces
Why is slow burial of organism not cause it to become a fossil	slow burial allow time for it to be exposed to things that could destroy the organism before it fossilizes
what are some of the destructive forces that might prevent a dead organism from fossilizing. (discuss abiotic and biotic factors)	Abiotic factors: water wind weather ice Biotic factors: decomposers, scavengers, predators
Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - MOLD	Imprints left from something behind that was buried
Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - CAST	Forms when sediments leak into the mold and harden, which creates a copy of the organism
Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - MINERALIZARTIOn (petrified)	When minerals carried in the water build up in the spaces of an organism and turn to rock
Once an organism is buried, describe the way it can become a fossil - IMPRESSION	prints or marks made when an organism has been flattened
3 ways an organism can be preserved	Ice, tree sap (amber), tar
why are hard body structures more likely to be preserved than soft body structures	soft tissues are easily destroyed by biotic or abiotic factors
type of environments are best for fossilization	benthic ocean - sediments brought from land by runoff enter the ocean and quickly cover dead organisms. Lakes - organisms can end up at the bottom of the lake where sediments can cover them
why is fossil record incomplete	most organisms are destroyed before they become fossils
what percent of organisms alive today will become fossils?	less than 10%
Type of rock is most likely to have fossils	sedimentary rock
What has to occur for a fossil to be found	weathering and erosion has to occur on the rock layer to expose the fossil.

Created by: jennwdw

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