Question

fossils quiz complete 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 what happens to soft parts of organisms when cast fossils form? they decay. they petrify. they form carbon films. they become part of the fossil.

Explanation:

To determine what happens to the soft parts of organisms when cast fossils form, we analyze each option:

• Petrification (petrify) typically involves hard parts (like bones) being replaced by minerals, not soft parts.
• Forming carbon films is a different fossilization process (carbonization) and not related to cast fossils.
• Soft parts do not become part of a cast fossil as casts are formed from the mold of the hard parts after the organism decays.
• Soft tissues (like skin, organs) are made of materials that decompose easily. When a cast fossil forms, the soft parts decay because they are not as resistant to environmental factors (like bacteria, chemical breakdown) as hard parts (bones, shells). So the correct option is the one stating they decay.

Answer:

A. They decay.