EXAM Fossils Flashcards
Describe what a ‘fossil’ is.
It is the remains or sign of ancient plants or animals preserved in rock
Which rock type do we find fossils in?
Sedimentary rock
What important information do fossils give us?
They tell us information about plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
Explain how fossils form.
Layers of sand and clay pile up on top of each other.
Living things can get trapped in these layers.
These can be preserved as fossils when the sedimentary rock form.
How does the position of the fossil in the sedimentary rock layers show its relative age?
The higher the fossils are in the rock layers, the younger they are, or the lower down in the layers, the older they are.
Name the two main types of fossils
Body fossils and trace fossils.
Describe what a ‘body fossil’ is.
The hard parts of animals that form fossils (e.g. bones or skull)
Describe what a ‘trace fossil’ is.
The preserved sign of animals such as footprints.
What information do body fossils give us?
They tell us about the plant or animals body structure.
What parts may form body fossils?
Bones, teeth, shells, leaves, stems, seeds.
What information do trace fossils give us?
They tell us how the animal lived.
What things can give rise to trace fossils?
Footprints, nests eggs, burrows, droppings
What is a hominid?
Fossil ancestors of human beings.
Where have the oldest hominid fossils been found in South Africa?
Cradle of Humankind.
What is the coelacanth?
It is a fish that scientists thought was extinct but recently some living ones have been found.
