Explorando fósiles: petrificación

The video explains how a high, dry desert was once a lush plain with streams and large pine trees. Over 225 million years ago, these trees were preserved through petrification, a process where organic cells are replaced by minerals, turning them to stone. This process is so thorough that even growth rings are visible. Petrification can also preserve other materials like shells and bones.

What was the landscape like 225 million years ago in the area now known as the Petrified Forest National Park?

• A dense rainforest

• A mountainous region

• A high, dry desert

• A great plain with streams and pine trees

What is the process called where organic materials are turned into stone?

• Sedimentation

• Petrification

• Crystallization

• Fossilization

During petrification, what replaces the cells of ancient organisms?

• Air

• Minerals in water

• Clay

• Sand

What detail can be observed in the petrified trunks due to the completeness of petrification?

• The color of the leaves

• The texture of the bark

• The rings of annual growth

• The height of the tree

Besides wood, what other materials can be preserved through petrification?

• Shells and bones

• Plastic

• Metals

• Fossil fuels