The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past.

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Multiple Choice

The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past.

Explanation:
Fossils are preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past. They can be body parts like bones, teeth, or shells that have been preserved or mineralized, or traces such as footprints, burrows, nests, or feeding marks that record activity. Fossils form when remains are quickly buried by sediment or another material, protecting them from decay, and over long periods are preserved as mineral replacements or impressions. This evidence lets us study ancient life and the environments those organisms lived in. Carbon dating is a method used to estimate how long ago the organism lived, not the preserved remnant itself. Evolution is the process of change in populations over generations, and adaptation refers to inherited traits that enhance survival in a given environment—neither is the preserved remains themselves.

Fossils are preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past. They can be body parts like bones, teeth, or shells that have been preserved or mineralized, or traces such as footprints, burrows, nests, or feeding marks that record activity. Fossils form when remains are quickly buried by sediment or another material, protecting them from decay, and over long periods are preserved as mineral replacements or impressions. This evidence lets us study ancient life and the environments those organisms lived in.

Carbon dating is a method used to estimate how long ago the organism lived, not the preserved remnant itself. Evolution is the process of change in populations over generations, and adaptation refers to inherited traits that enhance survival in a given environment—neither is the preserved remains themselves.

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