News by Levels · Level 1 · Student worksheet

Tiny Sea Animal Fossils Found Near a Whale

In this lesson: Separate the age of fossils from their collection date and identify what remains unknown.

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

Scientists have studied tiny fossils found near whale bones in Denmark. The fossils are about 9.5 million years old. The team reported the findings this week.

The tiny pieces came from animals called brittle stars. These sea animals are related to sea stars. Researchers found the pieces in soil collected beside whale bones in 2018.

The team thinks the animals may have gathered near the dead whale on the sea floor. The fossils do not show exactly what the animals ate.

Source: Museum of Southern Jutland via Brightsurf, 2026-11-03. https://www.brightsurf.com/news/1EOMDQQL/tiny-fossils-show-brittle-stars-gathered-around-a-dead-whale-95-million-years-ago.html

Read and practise

1. When was the soil beside the whale bones collected?

   1. About 9.5 million years ago
   2. In 2018
   3. Only after this week’s report

2. What can the fossils not show exactly?

   1. What the animals ate
   2. That the pieces were near whale bones
   3. That the pieces came from brittle stars

Your turn

Write two sentences separating the fossils’ age from the date their surrounding soil was collected.

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/brittle-star-fossils-ancient-whale-denmark-november-2026/level-1/