AQA GCSE Biology

Fossils & extinction

AQA GCSE Biology revision on Fossils & extinction. Aligned to the AQA GCSE Biology 8461 specification. This bank has 5 practice questions on this topic.

Sample questions (3 of 5)

Question 1

Which geological evidence explains why fossil records are incomplete for early life forms?
- A) Soft tissues decayed
- B) Many rocks were lost
- C) Erosion destroyed all
- D) Volcanoes melted soil
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Answer: Soft tissues decayed

Fossilisation requires specific conditions, such as rapid burial in sediment and the presence of hard parts like bones or shells. Because early life forms often lacked these hard structures, they decayed completely, leaving no trace in the fossil record.
Question 2

Why are fossils rarely found in metamorphic rocks?
- A) High heat destroys them
- B) Pressure crushes fossils
- C) Rocks are too dense now
- D) Magma flows over fossils
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Answer: High heat destroys them

Metamorphic rocks are formed from existing rocks that have been subjected to extreme heat and pressure. This geological process typically distorts or melts the rock layers, which obliterates any fossils that might have been present originally.
Question 3

What is the primary factor that causes a species to become extinct?
- A) New predators appear
- B) Environment changes too
- C) Resources run out fast
- D) Disease spreads quickly
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Answer: Environment changes too

While predators, disease, and resource scarcity are drivers, they are all forms of environmental change. If a species cannot adapt or migrate faster than its environment changes, it will fail to survive and eventually become extinct.

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Sample questions (3 of 5)

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