Chap 7.

Fossilization

Main Idea Paragraph 1 Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Paragraph 4 Paragraph 5

Vocabulary

1. The word subject in the passage is closest in meaning to a) Fleeting b) Exotic c) Exposed d) Incorporated 2. For what reason does the reading mention ways in which creatures are decomposed in paragraph 1? a) To show that the existence of so many fossils is astonishing b) To show a possible different theory of fossil creation c) To show the exact date to document fossil archives d) To show a correlation or contrast in the formation of fossils in both aquatic and land environments 3. The word remnants in the passage is closest in meaning to a) Organisms b) Remains c) Sediments d) Structures 4. Which of the sentences below best express the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. a) In order to keep strong and prevent dissolving, marine creature shells need to be soft b) Despite the relatively strenuous nature of marine creature shells, they eventually began to lose their shape and composition

Fossilization

1 Organisms that decease are subject to decay,

predators, bacteria, erosion, and other terrestrial factors that make it very unlikely that any sort of preservation will happen. Thus it is fascinating that fossils are as common as they are when the above is considered. The only real chance of preservation is if the creature has a particular mineralized structure and dies within an area where residue can quickly bury the body. An impressive number of fossils are discovered in earthly deposits left behind by freshwater bodies, although most fossils are found in oceanic areas of high organism and sedimentary concentrations. The bottom of the sea where ocean debris particles are constantly drifting down over oceanic organisms without spinal structures is also an area of ideal fossilization environment. Also, there are special cases where non-aquatic sediments fossilize plants and animals such as grout, quicksand, ice or molten rivers, and volcanic debris. 2 Fossils are readily thought of as an organism preserved as rock with the remnants of the original body engraved in stone. The process of this transformation is the following: The soft tissues of an organism are eaten up by bacteria and scavengers, often leaving behind shells. If the material left behind is strong enough to resist dissolution it may stay preserved for an extended amount of time. Due to this, many remains of spineless organism exoskeletons have been found that are millions of years old. This is a contrast to the remains of ocean critters with skeletons that have a very different physical composition of aragonite. Unlike calcite, aragonite has its own structure and is unstable and sometimes can change into other forms

5. What can be inferred about the calcite from the paragraph 2? a) Materials with calcite are stable and stay in its original form for millions of years b) It cannot be found in the creation of fossils by shelled and meaty creatures c) There must be in internal biological progression for invertebrates to become fossils. d) Calcites can change to other forms easily. 6. The word durable in the passage is closest in meaning to a) Sturdy b) Delicate c) Sophisticated d) Comprehensive 7. Which of the following answers is the closest to describing permineralization seen in paragraph 3? a) Shells are dissolved by waters that hold certain chemical and mineral properties that drops sediment on it b) Fossils are strengthened by a chemical solution c) All chemical elements of a fossil is stolen by water that goes through nearby sediments d) A solution of certain chemicals seeps into a fossil and alters its structure 8. The word infiltrate in the passage is closest in meaning to a) Harness b) Permeate c) Illustrate d) Lead

Permineralization

is

another

way

in

which

organisms enhance their probability of becoming fossilized. In this method water containing chemical solution surrounds the shell and fills in cavities and nerve/blood vessels of the bone. By going through this filling process, a shell of a marine invertebrate may more likely find itself fossilized with water that is enriched with various minerals that can be found in the oceans. The process mentioned above results in a more durable shell/bone but with the original composition. 4 Another particular case of fossilization seen in a variety of organic material is a phenomenon called replacement. As the term suggests, this method of fossilization takes a dead organic material and infiltrates into the original matter, replacing it with the surrounding sediments, debris, etc. A marvelous effect of this process is that the minute details of the original matter becomes extremely well fossilized allowing for a very intricate analysis of the fossil such as tree ring in wood

9. According to the paragraph 5, which of the following is true about carbonization? a) Carbonization occurs immediately following the death of a creature b) Carbonization does not happen in marine creatures with strong shells c) Carbonization sometimes facilitates sustenance of soft-tissue creatures of their entire body. d) Carbonization is a more accurate mode of conservancy that reinstatement 10. Why does the author mention jelly fish in the paragraph 5? a) To show an example of organism showing carbonization b) To show an example of obstacles in carbonization c) To show an example of quick burial organisms d) To show an example of marine creatures 11. According to the paragraph 6, which of the following is true? a) Soft materials cannot be fossilized b) Sometimes some materials encase soft parts of organisms and can preserve them as fossils. c) Hardy and soft body parts can be decomposed easily. d) Hardy parts have fertilized body parts. 12. Which of the following do NOT aid in the preservation of fossils according to the reading? a) The existence of calcite in the bones of a creature b) The vast clear areas at the bottom of the ocean c) The dropping of a fossil into adhesive natural textures d) The quick covering of a creature by layers of sediment 13. Look at the four squares [] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. There is another mechanism to be fossilized in organic life. What is the best spot for this sentence?

5 A less detailed form of fossilization found in nature has also been witnessed called carbonization. This is a process in which the carbon found in the soft parts of an organism such as jellyfish is left behind as a thin film which remains dark shadow. The organic substances of an organism reach this state by being pressurized through burial. 6 Organisms that are made of purely organs and soft tissue can also be preserved as fossils although it is mostly the hard parts of an organism that have chances to be fossilized easily. For example, Resin found in solid materials of certain trees keeps insects and small invertebrates. Furthermore, scans using ultraviolet rays of thin tablets of stone can reveal a variety of bodily parts of oceanic organisms. Frozen soil and tar of oil seeps have also been shown to preserve hair, organs, and other parts of ice age animals. In other cases, fossilized shale from Europe was made in such a way as the shale had fallen into a lake with low amounts of oxygen. Covered by surrounding debris, the remains of the shale gather on the bottom of the lake. This exemplifies one of the best chances for flesh to be preserved. If an organism dies in an environment of low oxygen levels and quick displacement, the bacteria is not able to destroy material in such of an the environment. fossils, Within the preservations complete animals,

amphibians, and small organisms in their entirety were found in a fossilized state

14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. The remnants of ancient organism are well preserved in the form of fossils.

Answer choices a) The possibility of creation of fossils increase with oceanic environmental conditions b) Shells of marine creatures are more likely to keep its form through mineral replacement or chemical precipitation c) A relatively small number of fossils are discovered in the earthly deposits of non-oceanic bodies of water d) Shale deposits allow for higher chances of fossilization than sediment deposits e) When soft parts of organisms are made into ice they tend to preserve better than the more solid body sections. f) If there is not an excessive amount of bacteria exposure, the tissues of creatures may be preserved with sheets of carbon