Relative Dating Exit Ticket

What are fossils?

• Rocks formed by lava cooling

• Preserved remains of living things from 10,000 years ago or more

• Bones of modern animals

• Layers of sedimentary rock

How do fossils usually form?

• When organisms are struck by lightning

• When organisms are buried in sediments and replaced by minerals over time

• When animals freeze instantly

• When plants are covered in volcanic ash

What do fossils help scientists learn about?

• Future life on Earth

• What life was like in Earth's past

• The behavior of modern animals

• How fast rocks form

What kind of scientist studies fossils?

• Geologist

• Archaeologist

• Paleontologist

• Biologist

Where are fossils typically found?

• Only in deserts

• Underground or on the surface due to tectonic movement and erosion

• Floating in the ocean

• In igneous rock

What type of rock do fossils form in?

• Igneous

• Metamorphic

• Sedimentary

• Volcanic

What are strata?

• Layers of sedimentary rock

• Groups of fossils found together

• A type of fossil

• A measurement of geologic time

According to the law of superposition, which layer of rock is the oldest?

• The top layer

• The middle layer

• The bottom layer

• All layers are the same age

What does the law of superposition help scientists determine?

• The absolute age of fossils

• The relative ages of different fossils

• The size of fossils

• How fossils move in the ground

What is an index fossil?

• A fossil that is hard to find

• A fossil that lived for a short period, was widespread, and abundant

• A fossil that is only found in deep ocean layers

• A fossil that can live forever