Choose the best definition of a fossil.
a. any trace of an organism that has been converted into rock
b. a bone, tooth, shell, or other hard part of an organism that has been preserved
c. any trace of an organism that lived in the past
d. the process that leads to preservation of any body part from an organism that lived in the past
Introduction:
The fossils are defined as the remains of organisms that were preserved and embedded in the earth. They are studied for their age, formation process, and significance in evolution. The study of the fossil is called paleontology and the totality of fossil is termed as fossil records.
Answer to Problem 1TYK
Correct answer:
The preserved remains or traces of any part or whole of an organism that was once living, are called fossils by the process of fossilization. The hard parts of the body, such as teeth and bones do not decompose easily and get preserved in the rocks or soil.
Explanation of Solution
Justification for the correct answer:
Option (c) is given as any organism traces that lived in the past. The fossils show preserved remains of prehistoric organisms (organisms that were present in the periods of earth history). They provide information about the organisms that once lived in the past. Hence, option (c) is correct.
Justification for the incorrect answers:
Option (a) is given as any organism’s traces that are converted into rocks. Fossils get embedded in rocks and they are not converted into rocks. So, it is an incorrect option.
Option (b) is given as any hard parts that have been preserved. Soft parts of the organisms that are preserved can also be considered as fossilized remains, such as fossils of casts and molds as impressions of their superficial in rocks. So, it is an incorrect option.
Option (d) is given as the process that leads to preservation of any part of from an organism that lived in the past. This process of preservation of organism is called fossilization, not fossil. So, it is an incorrect option.
Hence, options (a), (b), and (d) are incorrect.
Thus, it can be concluded that a fossil is any part of the dead organism that has been preserved, which lived in the past.
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Chapter 28 Solutions
Biological Science
- In which type of rock are you most likely to find a fossil? a. basalt, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock b. limestone, composed of sedimented calcium carbonate c. slate, a volcanically melted and cooled shale d. granite, which forms by crystallization of magma cooling below Earth’s surfacearrow_forwardList 5 examples of types of fossils.arrow_forwardHow do we know how old a fossil is? A) We compare it to current species and see how much has changed B) We see how much soil is on top of it C) We use radiometric datingarrow_forward
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- Why do we need to know the age of a fossil?arrow_forwardUse the scenario to answer the question. A fossil indicates that whales might have started out as small land mammals. This animal was about the size of a wolf and had a diet of meat and fish. While the fossil has the body of a land animal, its head is shaped like a whale with an ear bone that is unique to whales. Which statement is likely true about the fossil? It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows correlation. It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows causation. It is a transitional fossil that shows causation. It is a transitional fossil that shows correlation.arrow_forwardGive some examples of living fossil.arrow_forward
- Concepts of BiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168116Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James WisePublisher:OpenStax College