Which term refers to preserved remains used to study past life?

• A. Fossil
• B. Adaptation
• C. Scientific theory
• D. Natural selection

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is recognizing preserved remains from the past. A fossil is any preserved remnant or trace of an organism from earlier geological times—bones, teeth, shells, or even imprints and traces like footprints, burrows, or amber-encased remains. Fossils let scientists infer what past life looked like, how it lived, and the environments those organisms inhabited, and they also help date rocks and map evolutionary history. The other terms describe processes or ideas rather than preserved remains: adaptation means inherited traits shaped by the environment; a scientific theory is a well-supported explanation of natural phenomena; natural selection is the mechanism by which evolution occurs. Thus, the term for preserved remains used to study past life is fossil.