PALEONTOLOGY Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• paleontology: the scientific study of prehistoric life forms through the examination of plant and animal fossils.
• fossil: the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms found in rocks.
• paleontologist: a scientist who specializes in the study of fossils to understand past life forms and environments.
• evolution: the process of gradual change in species over time, evident in the fossil record.
• stratigraphy: the branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and their interpretation in terms of geological time.
• fossilization: the process by which organic material is replaced with minerals, preserving it as a fossil.
• taphonomy: the study of how organisms decay and become fossilized.
• index fossil: a fossil species that is used to define and identify geological periods.
• trace fossil: evidence of an organism's activity, such as footprints, burrows, or coprolites (fossilized feces).
• macrofossil: fossils that are large enough to be seen without a microscope, such as bones or shells.