AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Trace fossils are rocks that have preserved evidence of biological activity. They are not fossilized remains, just the traces of organisms. The imprint of an ancient leaf or footprint is a trace fossil. Burrows can also create impressions in soft rocks or mud, leaving a trace fossil.

Detailed explanation-2: -Ichnofossils, also known as trace fossils, are geological records of the activities and behaviors of past life. Some examples include rock evidence of nests, burrows, footprints, and scat. These fossils are different from body fossils that preserve the actual remains of a body such as shells or bones.

Detailed explanation-3: -Trace fossils are formed when an organism makes a mark in mud or sand. The sediment dries and hardens. It is covered by a new layer of sediment. As the sediment turns to rock through compaction and cementation, the remnant becomes fossilized.

Detailed explanation-4: -Fossils are the remains of an ancient organism or the traces of activity of such an organism.

Detailed explanation-5: -Ichnology: Study of trace fossils (biogenic sedimentary structures). Ichnite: general term for a trace fossil. An important distinction to remember is that every mark made by an organism (or fossil) is necessarily a trace fossil.