Fossils and Dating Earth's History

Vocabulary flashcards covering sedimentary rocks, fossil preservation, and types of fossils from the Earth's history notes.

Fossils

The traces or remains of ancient life, which are usually found in sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary rocks

Rocks that form when layers of sediment are pressed together over time.

Body fossils

Actual remains of organisms, such as bones, shells, and teeth.

Trace fossils

Evidence of activity left by an organism, such as footprints, burrows, tracks, and coprolites.

Mold fossils

An imprint left in rock.

Cast fossils

Fossils formed when minerals fill a mold to create a copy of the organism.