Download Fossil Terminology

EVIDENCE OF CHANGE
Fossils
Rock- The material that forms Earth’s hard surface
Paleontologist- A scientist who studies fossils to learn about organisms that long ago
Petrified Forest- A fossil in which minerals replace all or part of an organism
Mold- A fossil formed when an organism buried in sediment dissolves, leaving a hollow area
Cast- A fossil that is a copy of an organism’s shape, formed when minerals seep and function in living
things
Carbon Film- A type of fossil consisting of an extremely thin coating of carbon on rock
Trace Fossil- A type of fossil that provides evidence of the activities of ancient organisms
Carbonization- a thin film of carbon remains
Film-a thin coating or layer
Permineralization- water from the ground seeps into tiny empty spaces and deposits minerals
Replacement- the hard structures of organisms dissolved and are replaced with minerals
Fossil Record- is made of all known fossils and their placements in the formation of the of rocks and
positions in time
Fossils- are naturally preserved remains, imprints, or traces of organisms that lived long ago
LESSON 2
Comparative Anatomy- is the study of similarities and differences in the structures of organisms
Homologous Structures- parts of organisms similar in origin and structure
Embryology- the science of the development of embryos from fertilization through birth
LESSON 4
Systematics- the modern study of classification
Species- individuals that can breed together and produce a fertile offspring
Classification- the process of grouping things together based on their similarities
Taxonomy- the scientific study of how things are classified
Binomial Nomenclature- the naming system in which each organism is given a two-part name – a genus name
and a species name
Genus- a classification grouping that consist of a number of similar, closely related species
Evolution- the change in a species over time
Taxonomic Key (Classification Key)- a series of paired statements that describe the physical
characteristics of different organisms