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Best Fossils trivia quiz questions

Challenge yourself to recognize the most important fossil discoveries and the stories behind them.

  • What is the study of fossils called?

    Paleontology

  • What is the name of the largest-known dinosaur, discovered in Argentina and estimated to be around 100 feet long?

    Argentinosaurus

  • Which type of fossilization occurs when the original material is replaced with pyrite?

    Pyritization

  • What is the name given to the first appearance of a species in the fossil record?

    First occurrence

  • What is a mold fossil?

    A fossil formed when sediment fills in the impression left by an organism

  • What is the term for a gap in the geological record where rock layers are missing due to erosion or non-deposition?

    Unconformity

  • What type of fossil preserves the three-dimensional form of an organism without any of its original material?

    Replacement fossil

  • Which type of fossilization occurs when the original material is replaced with silica?

    Silicification

  • Which type of fossil is formed by the remains of plants or animals that have been compressed over time?

    Compression fossils

  • What is a deinonychus?

    An extinct carnivorous dinosaur with feathers and a sickle-shaped claw on each foot

  • What is a mosasaurus?

    An extinct marine reptile with a long, pointed snout and paddle-like limbs

  • What is a archaeopteryx?

    An extinct bird-like dinosaur with feathers and teeth

  • What is the oldest-known multicellular organism on Earth?

    Bangiomorpha pubescens

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive lophophore feeding structures?

    Graptolites

  • What is a triceratops?

    An extinct herbivorous dinosaur with three horns on its head

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive cup-like body structure?

    Cystoids

  • What is a trilobite?

    An extinct marine arthropod with a hard, segmented exoskeleton

  • What is the name of the extinct group of jawless fish that were among the first vertebrates on Earth?

    Ostracoderms

  • What is the name of the prehistoric plant that is often referred to as a living fossil?

    Ginkgo

  • What is the name of the phenomenon where certain organisms appear to disappear from the fossil record only to reappear later?

    Lazarus taxon

  • What is the name of the prehistoric insect that resembled a dragonfly but had a wingspan of up to 2.5 feet?

    Meganeura

  • What is the name of the extinct group of cephalopods characterized by their coiled shells?

    Ammonites

  • What is the name of the prehistoric bird that had a wingspan of up to 24 feet?

    Quetzalcoatlus

  • What is the name of the principle stating that younger rocks lie above older rocks in undisturbed sequences?

    Principle of Superposition

  • What is a stegosaurus?

    An extinct herbivorous dinosaur with bony plates along its back

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive two-part shells?

    Brachiopods

  • What is a ichthyostega?

    An extinct amphibious tetrapod with legs and gills

  • What type of rock are most fossils found in?

    Sedimentary rock

  • What is the name of the extinct bird that was the largest bird to ever exist?

    Elephant Bird

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive spiral-shaped shells?

    Gastropods

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a long, narrow snout and fed on fish?

    Tanystropheus

  • What is the name of the theory that explains the sudden disappearance of many species in the fossil record?

    Punctuated equilibrium

  • What is a dunkleosteus?

    An extinct armored fish with sharp, crushing jaws

  • What is a woolly mammoth?

    An extinct elephant-like mammal with long, curved tusks and shaggy fur adapted for cold environments

  • What is a glyptodon?

    An extinct armored mammal similar to a giant armadillo

  • What term describes the process of determining the age of a rock or fossil based on its position in layers of sedimentary rocks?

    Relative dating

  • What is the name of the prehistoric fish that had a long, thin body and needle-like teeth?

    Xiphactinus

  • Which scientist is credited with developing the concept of uniformitarianism, which states that the same geological processes observed today have operated throughout Earth's history?

    James Hutton

  • What is a velociraptor?

    An extinct carnivorous dinosaur with feathers and a sickle-shaped claw on each foot

  • What is a mammoth?

    An extinct elephant-like mammal with long, curved tusks and shaggy fur

  • Which type of fossilization occurs when minerals replace the original organic material?

    Permineralization

  • Which extinct marine arthropod group is often used as an index fossil?

    Trilobites

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive spiny skin?

    Echinoidea

  • What is a cast fossil?

    A fossil formed when minerals fill in the cavity left by a decomposed organism

  • What is the name of the geologic time period known as the 'Age of Fishes'?

    Devonian Period

  • What is an ammonite?

    An extinct marine mollusk with a spiral shell

  • What is a smilodon?

    An extinct carnivorous mammal with long, curved canine teeth also known as a saber-toothed tiger

  • What is the name of the ancient shark that lived during the time of the dinosaurs?

    Megalodon

  • What is the name of the oldest known fossil?

    Stromatolites

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a large, curved horn on its forehead?

    Megacerops

  • What is a helicoprion?

    An extinct shark with a spiral jaw covered in teeth

  • What is a plesiosaur?

    An extinct marine reptile with a long neck and four flippers

  • Which fossil site, located in Germany, is famous for its well-preserved specimens from the Jurassic period?

    Solnhofen Limestone

  • Which extinct marine reptile group includes the ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs?

    Sauropterygia

  • What is the name of the prehistoric turtle that had a shell measuring over 13 feet long?

    Archelon

  • What is a megalodon?

    An extinct species of shark that lived millions of years ago

  • What is an index fossil?

    A fossil used to date rocks and determine the relative ages of geological events

  • What is a saber-toothed cat?

    An extinct carnivorous mammal with long, curved canine teeth

  • What is a ichthyosaur?

    An extinct marine reptile with a streamlined body and large eyes

  • Which type of fossilization occurs when the original material is replaced with carbonate minerals?

    Carbonate replacement

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive calcite skeletons?

    Rugose corals

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive five-fold symmetry?

    Blastoids

  • What is the name of the process by which a once-living organism becomes a fossil?

    Fossilization

  • What is the term for a fossil that is an impression left by an organism?

    Imprint Fossil

  • Which type of fossil consists of a natural mold filled with sediment or mineral deposits?

    Cast fossil

  • What is a dimetrodon?

    An extinct carnivorous reptile with a sail-like structure on its back

  • Which type of organism is most commonly found as a trace fossil?

    Invertebrates

  • What is the name of the famous fossil of a human ancestor discovered in South Africa in 2013?

    Homo naledi

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a long, narrow snout and fed on insects?

    Phorusrhacos

  • What is a tyrannosaurus rex?

    An extinct carnivorous dinosaur with small arms and a large head with sharp teeth

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a long, curved horn on its nose?

    Elasmotherium

  • What is a brachiosaurus?

    An extinct herbivorous dinosaur with a long neck and forelimbs longer than its hind limbs

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a short, stocky build and was covered in fur?

    Glyptodon

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a long, curved tusk and roamed North America during the Ice Age?

    Mammut americanum

  • What is a coelacanth?

    An extant fish once thought to be extinct for millions of years

  • What is petrification?

    The process by which organic material is replaced with minerals

  • What is the name of the largest dinosaur ever discovered?

    Argentinosaurus

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive star-shaped plates?

    Asteroidea

  • What is the name of the extinct group of marine invertebrates characterized by their distinctive tooth-like elements?

    Conodonts

  • What is a trace fossil?

    A fossilized footprint, trail, burrow, or other evidence of an animal's activity

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a bony crest on its head?

    Parasaurolophus

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a large, flat horn on its head?

    Uintatherium

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a sail on its back?

    Dimetrodon

  • Which era saw the emergence of the first fish?

    Paleozoic Era

  • What is the name of the prehistoric mammal that had a long, curved tusk and roamed Europe and Asia during the Ice Age?

    Elasmotherium

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a long, slender body and four flippers?

    Plesiosaur

  • What is carbonization?

    The process by which organic material is compressed and preserved as a thin film of carbon

  • What is the name of the extinct elephant-like mammal that had long tusks and roamed North America during the Ice Age?

    Woolly Mammoth

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a frill around its neck?

    Triceratops

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a long, narrow snout and fed on small animals?

    Teratosaurus

  • What is a stromatolite?

    A layered structure formed by the growth of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that is often referred to as a flying dinosaur?

    Pterosaur

  • What is the name of the process where minerals replace organic matter in a fossil?

    Permineralization

  • What is the name of the prehistoric reptile that had a long, narrow snout and fed on plants?

    Longirostris

  • What are fossils?

    The preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past

  • What is the name of the prehistoric crocodile that had a snout resembling that of a dolphin?

    Dakosaurus
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