Fossils and extinction

Three main ways fossils can form

• Hard body parts, bones and shells decay slowly and are replaced with minerals along with time

• Impressions or casts such as footprints which become covered under layers of sediment

• preservation in amber or peatbogs

what is meant by the term extinction

when there is no remaining individuals of a species

3 ways in which a species can become extinct

Rapid change in environment

Loss of habitat

spread of a new disease

introduction of a new predator/ competitor

Why is the fossil record incomplete

Some fossils formed long ago may have decayed and have been destroyed

some organisms are soft bodied meaning that they don’t fossilise well