Reading the Clues in Fossils

Science · Dinosaurs & Paleontology · ages 8-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Fossils can only be found near the ocean.
Circle one: True False
The lesson says a fossil is like a clue at a detective's scene. Why?
- It is a message written by a dinosaur
- It is evidence left behind by something that lived long ago
- It is a toy buried in the sand
Ben finds a fossil tooth and wants to learn about the ancient animal it came from. Which question will help him most?
- How much money could I sell this tooth for?
- What does this tooth look like compared to teeth of animals alive today?
- Who dropped this tooth here?
Which of these counts as fossil evidence?
- A bone turned to stone
- A photo of a dinosaur
- A drawing of a dinosaur
Scientists find fossil seashells on top of a tall mountain. What does this tell them?
- Someone carried the shells up there
- Mountains always have shells
- The mountain was once under the sea
A fossil shows an animal with very thick fur. Living animals with thick fur, like Arctic foxes, live in cold places. What was this fossil's home probably like?
- Cold, because thick fur suits cold weather
- Hot, because fur keeps the sun off
- Underwater, because fur floats
Scientists learn that a certain place was once a warm, shallow sea. Which fossil would they most expect to find in its rocks?
- A pine cone
- A rabbit bone
- A coral shell
A scientist studies a fossil skull. Which question can the fossil probably NOT answer?
- What color was the animal?
- How big was its head?
- What shape were its teeth?
A fossil fish has fins shaped differently from the fins of every fish alive today. What can comparing them show scientists?
- The fossil is not real evidence
- All fish have always looked the same
- Life has changed over time, and ancient fish were different
Scientists dig into a cliff and find fossil shells in the lower rock layers and fossil tree ferns in the upper layers. What story do the layers tell?
- The place changed from sea to land over time
- Ferns once lived under the sea
- Shells and ferns always live together

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Reading the Clues in Fossils W1-mt_6Z42wJaKYG-s1

False · Fossils turn up in deserts, hills, and mountains too. A fossil can form anywhere a living thing was buried long ago.
It is evidence left behind by something that lived long ago · A fossil is real evidence from the past. Scientists read it the way a detective reads clues.
What does this tooth look like compared to teeth of animals alive today? · Comparing the fossil to living animals turns it into evidence. Money and who dropped it tell you nothing about the ancient animal.
A bone turned to stone · A fossil is the actual preserved remains or trace, not a picture or drawing made by someone.
The mountain was once under the sea · Seashells only form in water, so their fossils on a mountain are evidence that the area was once underwater.
Cold, because thick fur suits cold weather · Match the fossil to living things, then ask what it needed. Thick fur points to a cold home.
A coral shell · Coral lives in warm, shallow seas today, so its fossil is the one to expect in old sea rock. Pines and rabbits live on land.
What color was the animal? · A fossil keeps shapes, like head size and tooth shape. Color almost never survives in a fossil.
Life has changed over time, and ancient fish were different · Differences between fossils and living animals are evidence that life has changed over time.
The place changed from sea to land over time · Each layer is a chapter. Sea shells below and land plants above mean the place slowly changed from sea to land.