Flashcards
Fossils
Cards in this deck (10)
- 1What are fossils?Any evidence of ancient life.
- 2What are body fossils?- Direct evidence of ancient life
- Shows appearance of organisms
- (bones, teeth, shells, skeletons, wood, leaves, roots) - 3What are trace fossils?- Indirect evidence of ancient life
- Tells about behavior
- (footprints, tracks, trails, burrows, bitmarks, borings) - 4What are biogenic products?- Objects produced by organisms
Ex: Fossil eggs (minerals; not alive),
Amber (tree sap),
coprolites (fossilized dung),
Spider silk - 5What are chemofossils?Chemicals in rocks that are biologic in origin.
Ex. Organic compounds, proteins, DNA - 6How old does a fossil have to be?Greater than 10 Ka
- 7What is taphonomy?The study of all fossilization processes
- 8What processes are involved during fossilization?Death
Decay
Physical breakdown
Burial
Lithification
Weathering
Erosion - 9What are the odds of an organism becoming fossilized?Chances are low
- 10What are four factors that increase the chances of an organism becoming fossilized?1) Have hard parts (teeth, bones, shell)
2) Be buried quickly
3) Be buried deeply
4) Be buried in a low-oxygen environment (no bacteria = ~no decay)