Chapter 4 Lesson 1 Fossils

Fossil

The preserved remains or evidence of ancient living things.

Catastrophism

The idea that conditions and organisms on Earth change in quick, violent events.

Uniformitarianism

The idea that geological processes that have occurred in the past will continue to occur and change conditions and organisms on Earth slowly; gradual changes

Carbon Film

The fossilized carbon outline of an organism or part of an organism.

Mold

The impression in a rock left by an ancient organism.

Cast

A fossil copy of an organism made when a mold of the organism is filled with sediment or mineral deposits.

Trace Fossil

The preserved evidence of the activity of an organism.

Paleontologist

Scientist who study fossils.

Preserved Remains

The actual preserved remains of an organism are preserved as a fossil.

Mineral Replacement

Replicas or copies of organisms can form from minerals in groundwater. They fill in the pore spaces or replace the tissue of dead organisms.

Relative Age

The age of rocks and geological features compared with other rocks and features nearby.

Inclusion

A piece of an older rock that becomes part of a newer rock.

Sedimentary

The only type of rock that can contain fossils.

Evolution

The changes over time in populations of related organisms.