5.7D What Happened Before

Finding fossils in an area can help us learn what about the area?

• Which places in the region receive the most sunlight.

• The effect of the climate on the formation of soil.

• How modern plants and animals interact there.

• The kinds of organisms that lived there long ago.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

An area is currently a forest. What evidence would best indicate that this area was covered by water millions of years ago?

• An increase in rainfall in the forest over time.

• Presence of plants in the forest that need water to live.

• Fossils of fish discovered in rocks below the forest.

• Insects living in the forest that lay their eggs in water.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

According to the information on the table, finding which fossil in a region would lead to the conclusion that the area was, long ago, covered with trees?

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Fossil ferns, like the ferns found in modern swamps, were discovered in a layer of rock. In a rock layer below were found the fossils of cactus, like those that live in hot, arid deserts today. Based on this evidence, we could conclude that the area where the fossils were discovered had what sequence of climates in the past?

• Forest, followed by deep ocean.

• Cold climate that got warmer over time.

• Rushing river, then a dark cave.

• Very dry and then, much more damp.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Herbivores are animals that eat plants. Finding many fossils of large herbivores in rocks that are millions of years old would lead to what conclusion about the ancient environment of an area? A reasonable conclusion is that the area was once a -

• rocky seashore.

• thriving grassland.

• frozen lake.

• muddy swamp.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

In order to form a fossil, an organism must usually ______ quickly after it dies.

• Decompose

• Go extinct

• Rot

• Be buried

What can you conclude from the fact that so many fossils involve shells, skeletons, and teeth?

• Most organisms on earth have shells, skeletons, or teeth.

• Bacteria and decomposers consume these parts first after an animal dies.

• These parts decay slower than other body parts.

• These parts are more likely to be buried in ice than other body parts.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Although a cast fossil looks like an original bone or shell, how is it different?

• It's made of rock.

• It contains skin, hair, and other remnants.

• It has been liquefied.

• It is completely colorless.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What two forces can turn fossils into fossil fuels?

• Lift and thrust

• Wind and rain

• Temperature and pressure

• Motion and time