Paleontology or

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Paleontologyor Study of Fossils

• Historical perspectives on Fossils
• How to become a fossil without really trying

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Leonardo da Vinci(1452-1519)
Leonardo sketched fossils and recognized them as
the remains of ancient life.
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Fossils

• Remains or traces of ancient life
• Bones, Teeth, Shells, Tracks, Trails
• Soft tissues rare

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?-How does an organism become a fossil?

• Rapid burial is essential
• Protection from scavengers, decomposers, physical
  deterioration

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What helps? How do we re-build human form?

• Hard or durable tissues, such as
• Shells
• Bones
• Teeth
• Exoskeleton
• Woody tissue

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bones
Most fossils are formed from the hard parts of
organisms.
woody stems
shells
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?-What conditions favor preservation?

• Rapid burial is most likely in ocean
• Sea creatures with shells are fairly easy to
  preserve
• Conclusion Marine organisms with hard parts are
  most likely to become fossils

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Types of Preservation

• Original shell, bone or teeth
• Molds and Casts
• Trace fossils burrows, tracks, trails
• Soft Tissues
• Carbon film
• Amber
• Mummified ?-What does mummification have to do
  with fossils?
• Frozen

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• Fossils can also form when organisms are
  preserved in resins.
• Tracks of organisms can be preserved.

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Where Fossils Occur

• Almost Exclusively in Sedimentary Rocks
• Heat of Melting or Metamorphism Would Destroy
  Almost Every Type of Fossil
• Rare Exceptions
• Some Fossils in Low-grade Metamorphic Rocks
• Trees Buried by Lava Flow
• To Be Preserved, Organisms Have to Be
• Buried Rapidly After Death
• Preserved From Decay

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Ripple Marks, Bay Beach
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Fossil Ripple Marks, Baraboo Range
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?-What would this observation tell a scientist?
Current
Fossil
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Modern Mud Cracks
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Fossil Mud Cracks, Virginia
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?-What would this observation tell a scientist?
Current
Fossil
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Original Hard Material
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Altered Hard Tissue
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Molds and Casts

• ?-Explain how this happened.

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Carbon Film
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Amber

• ?-Explain how this happened.

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Impression and Carbon film

• ?-Explain how this happened.

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Carbon Film - Plants

• ?-Explain what this is.
• ?-Is it soft tissue or hard tissue and why?

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Define SuperpositionMindoro Cut, Wisconsin
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Dating Technique
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?-Why/how do we useFossils??-What do they tell
us?

• History of Life on Earth
• Evolution appearances of new species
• Extinction disappearances of species
• Guide in exploring for fossil fuels

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Commonly Preserved

• Hard Parts of Organisms
• Bones
• Shells
• Hard Parts of Insects
• Woody Material

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Rarely Preserved

• Soft or Easily Decayed Parts of Organisms
• Internal Organs
• Skin
• Hair
• Feathers

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Dinosaur Tracks, Texas?-This is called what?
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Fossil Tree in Lava Flow, Hawaii
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