Answer:
D. a gastrolith
Explanation:
Before answering this question, let's review the question. So the question is asking for the best example of a trace fossil out of the 4 options given.
First, we must figure out what a trace fossil is. A trace fossil is evidence of an organism or its activity. There are five (5) kinds of trace fossils which are burrows, coprolites, tracks, trails, nests and footprints. Fossils are any remains or trace of an organism that have been preserved in the rock record. Now that we have reviewed the question, we have to look over the options.
Option #1: Stratification
- Refers to the ways sediment layers are stacked to each other.
- Fundamental feature of sedimentary rock
- Usually occurs from lava flows and volcanic fragmental deposits
- Record of past movements of the Earth's surface is preserved in the stratification.
A stratified fossil or a polystrate fossil is a fossil of a single organism (such as a tree trunk) that extends through more than one geological stratum.
This option does not fit the definition of a trace fossil. Therefore Option A is incorrect.
Option #2 & 3: A Hard And Soft Shell Organism
- The fossils of bones, teeth, and shells are called body fossils.
So both of these options are a type of fossil known as body fossils.
After going over the first 3 answers, the final answer is Option D: A Gastrolith.
We have to explain our answer.
A gastrolith deal with the behavior of the organism from which they came rather than the actual organism itself.
"stomach stones", are believed to be similar to gizzard stones seen in modern animals such as reptiles and birds.
