27 Questions
What is a fossil?
The remains or evidence of a living thing
How are most fossils formed?
When minerals replace all parts of an organism in sedimentary rocks
What gives clues about organisms that lived long ago?
Fossils
What are petrified fossils formed through?
Petrification, turning into stones
What are carbon films formed from?
The breakdown of an organism's material, leaving only carbon behind
What do trace fossils show?
The activities of organisms, such as footprints and burrows
What is the term used for organisms that haven't changed much in millions of years and are still alive today?
Living fossils
How are fossils formed?
Preservation of original remains, permineralization, molds and casts, replacement, and compression
What is the longest geologic era?
Precambrian
What are the large segments into which geologic time is divided?
Eras
What are index fossils used for?
To find the relative age of a rock layer and match it up with other rock layers
Which era does the eon of visible life belong to?
Phanerozoic Eon
How are cast fossils formed?
As the result of a mold being filled with minerals and sediments
What is the main characteristic of trace fossils?
They show the activities of organisms
What is the process of forming petrified fossils?
Turning an organism into stone through mineral replacement
What provides the most important evidence about the evolution of plants and animals?
Bones, skills, teeth, leaves, spores, and seeds
What do most fossils help scientists understand?
Past environments
What is the primary element that remains when an organism dies and is buried in sediments?
Carbon
What is the term used for the eon of visible life?
Phanerozoic
What are the names of the eras into which the Phanerozoic Eon is divided?
Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic
What is the longest geologic era?
Precambrian
What are fossils that are widespread but only existed for a short period known as?
Index fossils
Which term refers to rock formations with exceptional fossils that are important for scientists to study?
Permineralization
What are the units of geologic time characterized by the types of life existing worldwide at the time?
Periods
Which term refers to organisms that haven’t changed much in millions of years and are still alive today?
Living fossils
What is the term used for remains of the organism itself or trace fossils, such as burrows, tracks, or other evidence of activity?
'Body fossils'
What enhances the chances of becoming a fossil?
'Presence of preservable hard parts'
Test your knowledge about the formation of fossils and their importance in understanding the evolution of plants and animals, as well as Earth's surface changes over time.
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