Fossil clues
Read the evidence that ancient life left behind.
Before you jump in
A fossil display can make the past seem wonderfully solid: a tooth, a shell, or a familiar shape pressed into rock. Yet each object has a history between the living organism and the museum case. This quiz asks you to investigate that history, beginning with the evidence itself and then considering what happened to it along the way.
You will compare different kinds of fossils, separate a preserved shape from the material that once occupied it, and think about why some traces survive more readily than others. The later questions reward careful interpretation rather than a memory for dinosaur names. Imagine you are reading an evidence label before writing the story beneath it. What can the object support, and what would need another clue? That distinction makes a small fragment just as interesting as a spectacular complete skeleton.
What you’ll explore
- Body remains and traces of activity
- Minerals, molds, and casts
- Preservation and evidence
Identify different fossil evidence and distinguish preservation processes from conclusions about past life.
Which find is a body fossil?
This is the opening question. Start the round to see the choices and test your answer.
