Types of Fossils
Science · Dinosaurs & Paleontology · conceptual
Distinguish body fossils (preserved bones, teeth, shells) from trace fossils (footprints, trackways, eggs, burrows, coprolites) and explain what each type can tell scientists
What mastery looks like
- Sort examples into body fossils (bones, teeth, shells) and trace fossils (footprints, eggs, dung)
- Explain that body fossils show what an animal looked like physically
- Explain that trace fossils show how an animal behaved — how it moved, what it ate, where it nested
Check your understanding
If Types of Fossils saw a dinosaur footprint in rock at a museum, could they explain how it's different from a fossil bone and what scientists can learn from it?
Prerequisites
Required first
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