AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Fossils are the preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers. Fossils also include any preserved trace of life that is typically more than 10 000 years old.

Detailed explanation-2: -fossil record, history of life as documented by fossils, the remains or imprints of organisms from earlier geological periods preserved in sedimentary rock.

Detailed explanation-3: -Almost all fossils are preserved in sedimentary rock. Organisms that live in topographically low places (such as lakes or ocean basins) have the best chance of being preserved. This is because they are already in locations where sediment is likely to bury them and shelter them from scavengers and decay.

Detailed explanation-4: -Shale is formed from particles of mud. Good places to find fossils are outcrops. An outcrop is a place where old rock is exposed by wind and water erosion and by other people’s digging. Make sure that you plan to dig in a place where it is okay to collect fossils.

Detailed explanation-5: -The fossil record provides evidence of when and how life began on the planet, what types of organisms existed and how long they persisted, how they lived, died, and evolved, and what the climate was and how it changed.