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Fossil Assignment

The document discusses the preservation of fossils, emphasizing that only 10% of species are fossilized, with hard body parts like bones and teeth being more likely to survive. It explains how fossils change between rock strata due to evolutionary processes and what identical fossils across strata suggest about an organism's evolutionary timeline. Additionally, it covers the formation of petrified tree fossils, the significance of marine fossils found at high elevations, and the predominance of marine organisms in the fossil record.

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ashsun4212
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158 views3 pages

Fossil Assignment

The document discusses the preservation of fossils, emphasizing that only 10% of species are fossilized, with hard body parts like bones and teeth being more likely to survive. It explains how fossils change between rock strata due to evolutionary processes and what identical fossils across strata suggest about an organism's evolutionary timeline. Additionally, it covers the formation of petrified tree fossils, the significance of marine fossils found at high elevations, and the predominance of marine organisms in the fossil record.

Uploaded by

ashsun4212
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

FOSSIL ASSIGNMENT Name:

1. Only 10% of all species that existed are thought to be preserved as fossils. If you
were to leave behind a fossil what part of your body would most likely be fossilized,
and why?

I would leave behind any hard body part. For example, I would leave behind
my bones or teeth because, hard body parts are not eaten by scavengers
and decompose at a slower rate compared to soft body parts

2. Fossils are found in layers of rocks called strata. Why do fossils change between
strata?

Organisms can evolve or change therefore different fossils can change by


each strata

3. What would identical fossils in every strata imply about the organisms?

Identical fossils would imply that the organism has not evolved in a long
period of time or that the organism could be slowly evolving over a long
amount of time

4. What is a petrified tree fossil made of? Explain how the fossil of the tree became
petrified.

A petrified tree fossil is made of minerals that have replaced the trees
organic tissue. A tree becomes petrified when its organic tissues are
replaced by minerals.

5. What do the following characteristics of fossils reveal about the history of life on
earth?
(a) Some fossils of marine organisms are found at high elevations in the mountains.

The theory of Uniformitarianism states that large mountain ranges formed


very slowly, which means that the fossilized marine organisms must have
been so old that they lived in an aquatic area that was there before the
mountains formed.

(b) Most fossils are of species that are no longer living.

The species that had these fossils has gone extinct

(c) Most organisms are not found in the fossil record.

These organisms are currently alive and have not been living long enough
to become fossils

(d) Most fossils are of marine organisms.

Most organisms have evolved from marine organisms. Also, most fossils
can be marine organisms because water is a better site for fossilization due
to the low levels of oxygen.

(e) The oldest fossil deposits contain only simple organisms. More recent deposits
contain both simple and complex fossils.
All organisms started off as simple organisms then some of these
organisms gradually evolved into more complex organisms
NIAGARA ESCARPMENT 385 MILLION YEARS AGO
(Meadowvale Area)

crinoids

gastropods
brachiopods

trilobite
Anthozoa (coral)

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