Mystery Fossils

Based upon the image above of a fossilized tooth, what would this ancient organism have eaten?

• fruits

• plants

• other animals/meat

• water only

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

The illustration shows a map with four locations and the fossils found there. A fossil shark tooth was also found. In which area was the shark tooth most likely found?

• Area A

• Area B

• Area C

• Area D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

I found a fossil of a fish in what is now a cow pasture. How is that possible?

• Somebody put the fossil there.

• The wind moved the fossil there over time.

• The cow pasture used to be underwater.

• It would not be possible to find a fossil of a fish in a cow pasture.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Vivian, a paleontologist, just discovered a new fossil! Vivian wants to figure out what the ancient animal was like when it was alive. She decides to compare the arm bones of the mystery fossil with the arm bones of some modern animals. Compare the bones below with the mystery fossil bones. Which of the following claims has the STRONGEST evidence to support it?

• The mystery animal walked on two legs.

• The mystery animal walked on four legs.

• The mystery animal lived in the water.

• The mystery animal flew or glided through the air.

• The mystery animal was a carnivore.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What can the presence of mystery fossils in a desert tell us about the region's past?

• The region was always a desert.

• The region was once underwater.

• The region was always a forest.

• The region was once a mountain range.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which scientific method would be most useful in dating mystery fossils?

• Carbon dating

• Thermoluminescence dating

• Dendrochronology

• Potassium-argon dating

If a mystery fossil is found in sedimentary rock, what does this indicate about the fossil's age?

• The fossil is very young.

• The fossil is older than the rock.

• The fossil is the same age as the rock.

• The fossil is younger than the rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What type of scientist would most likely study mystery fossils?

• Botanist

• Paleontologist

• Geologist

• Astronomer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Which of the following is a possible reason for finding marine fossils on mountain tops?

• Volcanic activity

• Tectonic plate movement

• Erosion

• Human activity

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What can the discovery of mystery fossils in a particular layer of rock tell us about that time period?

• The climate was stable.

• The climate was changing.

• There was no life.

• There was abundant plant life.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1