Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a fossil?
What is a fossil?
What do fossils tell us?
What do fossils tell us?
How is a fossil formed?
How is a fossil formed?
What protects an animal's bones from rotting after it dies?
What protects an animal's bones from rotting after it dies?
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What slowly replaces the calcium phosphate in the bones of an animal?
What slowly replaces the calcium phosphate in the bones of an animal?
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What did scientists like Stephen J. Gould challenge regarding Earth's history?
What did scientists like Stephen J. Gould challenge regarding Earth's history?
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What is the science involved with the study of past life called?
What is the science involved with the study of past life called?
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How are fossils defined?
How are fossils defined?
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What process can result in the formation of petrified fossils?
What process can result in the formation of petrified fossils?
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What kind of fossil is created when an organism is trapped in tree resin and becomes hardened?
What kind of fossil is created when an organism is trapped in tree resin and becomes hardened?
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How are dinosaur footprints preserved as fossils?
How are dinosaur footprints preserved as fossils?
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What do paleontologists use fossils for?
What do paleontologists use fossils for?
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What do fossils provide evidence of?
What do fossils provide evidence of?
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What is the primary cause of most geologic change according to scientists?
What is the primary cause of most geologic change according to scientists?
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What do petrified fossils result from?
What do petrified fossils result from?
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Study Notes
- A fossil is the preserved remains of a once-living organism.
- Fossils provide insights into organisms that lived in the past, showing evidence of evolution and Earth's changing surface.
- Fossils are formed when an organism is buried by sediment, such as volcanic ash or silt, which later hardens and protects the remains.
- Movement of tectonic plates and erosion from natural processes eventually bring fossils closer to the surface for discovery.
- Sedimentary processes like petrification, mold and cast formation, and carbon film preservation also contribute to fossil formation.
- Paleontology is the scientific discipline that studies past life based on fossils and other evidence.
- Fossils reveal information about ancient environments and Earth's climate history.
- Mold fossils are imprints of organisms, while cast fossils are their external molds; carbon films show the ancient appearance of organisms.
- Amber fossils result from organisms being trapped in tree resin.
- Ice preserves organisms, like mammoths, in their entirety in cold regions.
- Fossils help scientists understand Earth's past environments and changes in geology and climate.
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Description
Test your knowledge about fossil formation process and their significance. Learn how fossils provide clues about the past organisms and Earth's history.
