Fossils Lesson 2 and Exit Ticket

Fossils

​What does the word fossil mean?

Comes from the word fossilis meaning "dug up."

​What are fossils?

Fossils are remains or traces of organisms that lived over 10,000 years ago that form extremely slowly.

​What are the different kinds of fossils?

• Trace fossils (record the actions of organisms such as burrowing, footprints, slithering, nests, etc.​

• Mold fossils (impression left behind after organism decayed)

• Cast fossil (forms when minerals fill up molds)

• ​True form (fossils of the actual organism)

• Fossil fuels (fuel formed from the remains of living organisms such as petroleum, oil, gas, coal, )

• ​Original form (some mummies)

Match

Match the following

• record the actions of organisms such as burrowing, footprints, slithering, nests

• impression left behind after organism decayed

• forms when minerals fill up molds

• fuel formed from the remains of living organisms such as petroleum, oil, gas, coal

• fossils of the actual organism

trace fossils

mold fossil

Cast fossil

Fossil fuels

True form

• trace fossils

• mold fossil

• Cast fossil

• Fossil fuels

• True form

Multiple Choice

Which type of fossil is seen here?

• cast

• mold

• true form

• trace

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​What factors effect the formation of a fossil?

• ​the nature of its body tissues and structures (hard tissues such as bone and teeth are more likely to fossilize than soft tissues like eyes and heart)

• ​behavior and habitat (cold, dry habitats allow for slower decay)

• ​manner of death and burial (organisms with hard shells or sediment dwelling are more likely to fossilize)

​How do most fossils form?

When a plant or animal dies in a watery environment and is buried, soft tissues quickly decompose leaving the hard bones or shells behind.

Over time sediment builds over the top and hardens into rock. Because organisms decompose quickly in warm, moist environments, mainly bones and teeth will fossilize in those environments. In drier environments or environments with little oxygen, organisms tend to decompose more slowly - providing more opportunity for fossilization to take place.

Multiple Select

Which environments are most likely to allow for fossilization of a species? TWO ANSWERS

• Tropical rainforest

• sand dunes of the Gobi

• burial in sea sand

• dark damp areas

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Multiple Choice

All of the following are often related to fossil formation and discovery except

• burial

• exposure

• erosion

• flooding

Multiple Choice

Most fossils are formed within which kind of rock?

• sedimentary

• metamorphic

• igneous

• they form equally in all types of rock

​- Name of Author

" Replace this with a quote, words full of wisdom that someone important said and can inspire the reader. " 

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​So - Since layers of rock take millions of years to form, a fossil found in more than 1 layer of a column of rocks would NOT be an index fossil because it was around over too long a period of time.

Multiple Choice

True or False - A fossil that is found in only one location - so only in one single column of rocks- would make a good index fossil.

• True

• False

An index fossil is a fossil that can be used to identify the time period when rocks in different areas formed. A fossil that is only found in ONE location can not be an index fossil because it could not help us identify the age of a rock layer anywhere else. An index fossil has to be found in many different rock columns from different locations.

Multiple Choice

True or False - A fossil that is found in more than one layer within a column of rocks would make a good index fossil.

• True

• False

​STUDY THIS - If you do not understand WHY they chose this one as the best index fossil - go back to the information slides.

Multiple Choice

Which of these fossils would make the best index fossil?

• Fossil 1

• Fossil 2

• fossil 3

• Fossil 4

Multiple Choice

Click to enlarge. Study this carefully. You have to line up the layers using the index fossil Which fossil in the oldest?

This was on a State Test a few years back.

• Fossil 1

• Fossil 2

• fossil 3

Multiple Choice

Which layer is the oldest?

• A

• F

• Can not be determined

• They are all the same age.

Multiple Choice

Which layer is the youngest?

• A

• F

• Can not tell

• They are all the same age.

Multiple Choice

If fossils in layer D are 100 million years old and in layer B they are 110 million years old, how old might are the fossils in layer C? Choose the best answer.

• 90 million years old

• 120 million years old

• 105 million years old

• 50 million years old