SmithLifeScience                                             Name __________________ Period _____

Reading Study Guide Chapter 5 Changes Over Time 6-3 The Fossil Record  (pp.189-197)

Page 189

1. How old is Sue? _______________

2. What kind of dinosaur is Sue? _________________________

3. Where was Sue discovered? _______________________

How do Fossils Form? (p.190)

4. Most fossils form when organisms that die become __________________________.

5. What is sediment? _____________________________________

6. Over million of years layers of sediment may become ___________________ rock.

Name the three ways fossils can be formed.

7. _____________________

8. _____________________

9. _____________________

10. Put these sentences about fossil formation in order. 1-4
        _____ Over millions of years the sediment hardens to become rock. The croc is preserved.
        _____ An ancient crocodile dies and sinks to the bottom of the river.
        _____ The rock erodes. The fossil is exposed on the surface of the rock.
        _____ Layers of sediment cover the crocodiles body.

Determining a Fossil's Age  (p.191-192)

List the two ways scientists can determine a fossil's age

     11.   ___________________________________

     12. ___________________________________

13. Scientists use relative dating to determine which of two fossils is ______________.

14. Relative dating does not tell scientists the fossil's _________________.

15. A technique called ________________________ allows scientists to determine the actual age of fossils.

16. The _________________ of a radioactive element is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample to decay.

What do Fossils Reveal? (p.192-193)

17. What is a fossil record? _______________________________________________

18. The calendar of Earth's history is sometimes called ___________________________.

19. The Precambrian Time Period covers ______________ years of Earth's history.

20. After the Precambrian,  Geological Time Scale is divided into three major blocks of time called ___________.

Page 194-195 The Geologic Time Scale

21.  When did land plants and animals appear on Earth? _______________________

22. Which evolved first, reptiles or amphibians? _____________________

23. When did the first dinosaurs and mammals evolve? __________________

24. Name an animal the first humans could have seen. _____________________________

Unanswered Questions (p.196-197)

25. Why is the fossil record incomplete? ___________________________________

What are two unanswered questions about evolution?

26. ______________________________________________________________

27. ______________________________________________________________

List the two theories for the major climate changes that cause mass extinctions.

28. ________________________________________________

29. ________________________________________________

Complete the chart below about the two theories of evolution.

Extra Credit
Imagine that you are a biologist, like Darwin, exploring the Galapagos Islands. Write a short notebook entry on one of the unusual animal species you have found on the islands. Include a short description of how it has adapted to its environment.
1 POINT Name the animal.
1 POINT Name the adaptation. (the body part). 
2 POINTS Tell how it has helped the animal to survive.

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