Year 6 Science: Using fossils as evidence
Part of the Year 6 Science fossils and living things over time chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Using fossils as evidence
Evidence is information from observations or tests that can support an idea, or refute it, which means show that it is wrong. Fossils are evidence about the living things of the past.
Fossils have limits. Soft parts are rarely preserved, and the fossil record has gaps. So a fossil can support an idea, but it does not always show everything. A new fossil can change what we think, if it is found in the right layer.
Key ideas
- Evidence from fossils can support or refute an idea about the past.
- Two fossils can be compared by their ages, to decide whether they lived at the same time.
- Fossils rarely show soft parts, so they cannot show everything.
- The fossil record has gaps, so some living things are not known from fossils.
Method. Compare the two ages.
- Read the ages. The bone is 200 million years old, and the footprint is 120 million years old.200 and 120
- Decide. The ages are different, so they lived at different times.different times
- Write the answer. no
Check. The difference is 80 million years. ✓
Method. Check the evidence.
- Read the evidence. The bone and footprint are in different layers, with different ages.different layers
- Decide. So the evidence does not support Sam's idea.does not support
- Write the answer. does not support
Check. Being in the same cliff does not mean being the same age. ✓
Method. Think about what is rarely preserved.
- Think about soft parts. Soft parts, such as skin and muscle, decay quickly and are rarely preserved.soft parts
- Write one word. So fossils rarely show soft parts.soft parts
- Write the answer. soft parts
Check. Fossils mostly show hard parts. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a fossil can support an idea, but one fossil does not prove a whole idea. Look at the evidence, and check whether it is in the right layer.
Exam tip
Exam tip. When you use fossil evidence, say what the fossil shows and whether it supports or refutes the idea.
Try it (with your teacher, or a grown-up at home). Look at three pictures of fossils with a grown-up, and write one idea that each could support. For each, write one thing it could not show. Discuss your answers with a partner.
Exercise 5E Using fossils as evidence
Method. Read the definition.
- Read the definition. Evidence is information from observations or tests that supports or refutes an idea.evidence
- Write the answer. evidence
Check. Fossils are one type of evidence about the past. ✓
Method. Read the limit of fossils.
- Read the limit. Soft parts decay quickly, so they are rarely preserved.decay
- Decide. So the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Hard parts are more often preserved. ✓
Method. Read the limit of fossils.
- Read the limit. Not every living thing has been preserved, so the record has gaps.gaps
- Decide. So the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Gaps mean we cannot know everything from fossils alone. ✓
Method. Compare the ages.
- Read the ages. The bone is 200 and the footprint is 120 million years old.200 and 120
- Decide. They are different ages, so the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. The difference is 80 million years. ✓
Method. Think about layers.
- Think about layers. Fossils in different layers have different ages.different layers
- Decide. So being in the same cliff does not show they are the same age.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Each layer has its own age. ✓
Method. Compare hard and soft parts.
- Compare. Bones are hard and last longer than skin.bones last
- Choose. So bones are more likely to be found as fossils.bones
- Write the answer. bones
Check. Hard parts are more likely to be preserved. ✓
Method. Think about the order of layers.
- Think about the order. In an undisturbed cliff, the top layer is the youngest, so it should not be older than the layer below.youngest at the top
- Decide. A 300 million year old fossil at the top does not fit, so the answer is does not fit.does not fit
- Write the answer. does not fit
Check. The ages do not follow the order of the layers. ✓
Method. Compare the ages.
- Read the ages. The fish is 60 million years old and the leaf is 25 million years old.60 and 25
- Decide. They lived 35 million years apart, so the evidence does not support Ali.does not support
- Write the answer. does not support
Check. The difference is 35 million years. ✓
Method. Think about what is not preserved.
- Think about soft parts. Colour and sound are not preserved in a fossil, and soft parts usually decay.not preserved
- Write one thing. Any one of these cannot be seen in a fossil.one thing
- Write the answer. Accept any one of: the colour, the sounds it made, the soft parts, how it behaved.
Check. A fossil shows the hard parts that lasted. ✓
Method. Think about evidence.
- Think about one piece. One fossil is only one piece of evidence.one piece
- Think about more. More evidence from more fossils and tests is needed to be sure.more evidence
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says one fossil is only one piece of evidence, and more evidence is needed to be sure.
Check. Scientists look for patterns across many results. ✓
Method. Think about what refutes an idea.
- Think about the fossil. A fossil with an age that does not fit the idea can show it is wrong.does not fit
- Think about the layers. A fossil in the wrong layer, or a wrong age, can refute an idea.wrong age
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says a fossil found in the wrong layer or with the wrong age can show that an idea is wrong.
Check. Refuting an idea means showing it is wrong. ✓
Method. Think about how ages are found.
- Think about the ages. The age of a fossil comes from the layer it is in, which is an estimate.estimate
- Think about certainty. So an exact date would be uncertain, and it needs care.uncertain
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says ages come from the layers, which are estimates, so the exact date is uncertain.
Check. Scientists say how sure they are. ✓