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Questions and Answers
What is the first step in the process during the formation of molded fossils?
What is the first step in the process during the formation of molded fossils?
Organisms are buried under sediment
How might an entire insect be preserved?
How might an entire insect be preserved?
Tree sap flows over the insect and hardens.
Which is one piece of information that tiny fossils in samples from Earth's crust reveal about Earth's history?
Which is one piece of information that tiny fossils in samples from Earth's crust reveal about Earth's history?
Changes in climate
Which evidence suggests that several mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history?
Which evidence suggests that several mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history?
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What type of fossil is formed by sediments and found in sedimentary rock?
What type of fossil is formed by sediments and found in sedimentary rock?
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What do similar fossils found on distant continents suggest about Earth's history?
What do similar fossils found on distant continents suggest about Earth's history?
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What part of an organism is preserved in cast and mold fossils?
What part of an organism is preserved in cast and mold fossils?
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What are three materials that preserve soft tissues in fossils?
What are three materials that preserve soft tissues in fossils?
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Why is still water an ideal environment for the formation of mold and cast fossils?
Why is still water an ideal environment for the formation of mold and cast fossils?
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How do organisms form carbon films?
How do organisms form carbon films?
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What happens to soft parts of organisms when cast fossils form?
What happens to soft parts of organisms when cast fossils form?
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How are casts formed by decaying organisms?
How are casts formed by decaying organisms?
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Which type of fossils form from hardening sediment?
Which type of fossils form from hardening sediment?
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What feature do amber fossils have that mold fossils do not?
What feature do amber fossils have that mold fossils do not?
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How is a fossil formed from an animal that dies in mud, decomposes, and leaves an imprint?
How is a fossil formed from an animal that dies in mud, decomposes, and leaves an imprint?
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How have paleontologists contributed to humans' understanding of the history of life?
How have paleontologists contributed to humans' understanding of the history of life?
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What does the fossil record indicate?
What does the fossil record indicate?
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What information can scientists obtain from fossils that suggest Earth's climate has changed over time?
What information can scientists obtain from fossils that suggest Earth's climate has changed over time?
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What is an example of a trace fossil?
What is an example of a trace fossil?
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Which method preserves an image of a leaf?
Which method preserves an image of a leaf?
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Study Notes
Fossil Formation Processes
- Organisms become molded fossils through burial under sediment, initiating the fossilization process.
- Entire insects can be preserved when tree sap flows over them and subsequently hardens.
Climate and Earth's History
- Tiny fossils in Earth's crust samples reveal changes in climate over periods.
- Evidence of several mass extinctions includes fossils of organisms that are now extinct.
Types of Fossils
- Molds of fishes are formed from sediments and are typically found in sedimentary rock.
- Similar fossils found across distant continents suggest continental drift over geological time.
- Cast and mold fossils typically preserve hard parts of organisms, such as bones.
Materials and Environmental Conditions for Fossilization
- Soft tissues can be preserved in materials such as permafrost, amber, and tar.
- Still water environments are ideal for the formation of mold and cast fossils due to the accumulation of sediment over organisms.
Fossil Characteristics and Processes
- Carbon films are created when residue from decaying organisms is left on rocks.
- During the formation of cast fossils, soft parts of the organisms decay completely.
- Casts are formed via impressions left by decaying organisms that are filled in with hardening sediment.
Distinctions Between Fossil Types
- Amber fossils showcase preserved soft tissues, unlike mold fossils.
- Fossils formed from organisms that decomposed in mud only retain hard tissues, differing from fossils that preserve entire remains.
Contributions of Paleontology
- Paleontologists have deepened understanding of life's history by categorizing organisms by the eras in which they existed.
- The fossil record indicates that mass extinctions have occurred multiple times throughout Earth's history.
Climate Insights from Fossils
- Some fossils provide insights into historical climate changes, including temperature shifts.
- Trace fossils, such as animal burrows, serve as evidence of organism activity within ancient environments.
Preservation Techniques
- Leaves can leave a carbon imprint on rocks as they decompose, preserving an image of the leaf in the fossil record.
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