FOSSILS Understanding Main Ideas
Fill in the blanks in the table below.

Type of Fossil
Description

Fossils in which replace all or part of an organism


A hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism


A solid copy of the shape of the organism

An extremely thin coating of on rock

Evidence of the of ancient organisms


Remains of organisms in amber, tar or ice

Describe how a mold is related to a cast.

What can a paleontologist tell from fossil footprints of a dinosaur?

What does the fossil record reveal about the evolution of life on Earth?

Building Vocabulary
Match each term with its definition by writing the letter of the correct term in the right column on the line beside the definition in the left column.

___ no longer and never again existing as an organism on Earth a. Evolution
the preserved remains or traces of living things b. Sedimentary rock
the process by which all the different kinds of living c. extinct
things have changed over long periods of time
the type of rock that is made of hardened sediment d. Paleontologist
an extremely thin coating of carbon on rock e. Fossils
a scientist who studies fossils f. Carbon film