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The Fossil Record
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- Fossils are evidence of past life, such as bones, teeth, and footprints.
- The collection of fossils in the Earth's crust and their placement in chronological order is called the fossil record.
- Scientists study the fossil record to understand how life on Earth has changed over time.
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Discussion Questions
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Before VideoHow does a changing environment affect plants and animals that live there? ANSWER
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When the environment changes in ways that affect a location’s characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, and others die.
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Most will decompose, while some are buried and compressed in sedimentary rock, forming fossils over long periods of time.
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Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth don’t exist anymore. Examples of these are dinosaurs and other extinct species.
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Fossils tell scientists what an organism looked like and about the environment that existed when the animal lived.
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Evidence of animal activity like footprints, burrows, and coprolites.
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Molds, casts, replacement (like petrified wood), trapped in amber, and mummified.
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After VideoHow are fossils discovered? ANSWER
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Earth processes like erosion and earthquakes can move sediment from one location to another, often uncovering and exposing fossils. Scientists also concentrate their search efforts in areas that are known to have lots of fossils, like Utah.
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Trace fossils provide information about how an organism lived, including but not limited to how it moved, what it ate, and where it lived.
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Over time, sediment forms layers beneath the Earth’s surface. The deeper fossils are found in the Earth’s crust, the older they are. The closer to the surface fossils are found, the younger they are.
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The fossil record provides evidence that organisms that are extinct today once existed. It also gives a chronological history for how organisms have evolved in water and on land.
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Organisms have become progressively more complex over time. Early in Earth’s history, organisms were very simple, many made of a single cell. As millions of years have passed, organisms have evolved to be more complex, with human beings the most complex of all!
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Organisms living in the water all possessed characteristics that allowed them to breathe underwater, such as gills. Over time, these organisms adapted to live successfully on land with structures like lungs and legs.
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Vocabulary
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Fossil
DEFINE
Preserved remains or traces of ancient plant and animal life.
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Trace fossil
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Impression or other preserved sign of activity such as feeding, scratching, burrowing, walking, or resting.
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Body fossils
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Preserved remains of the plant or animal itself, or the preserved parts of the animal or plant like bones, teeth, and shells, or the imprint of parts of the animal or plant.
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Mold fossils
DEFINE
Hollow space left in a rock by animal or plant remains that have dissolved.
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Cast fossils
DEFINE
When molds fill in with minerals or sediments that later harden, the resulting fossil is called a cast.
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Permineralization
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Groundwater fills pore spaces in animal or plant remains and deposits minerals. Most dinosaur body fossils are formed this way.
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Strata
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Layers of sedimentary rock that compile and compress over time that can trap fossils within them.
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Transitional fossil
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A fossil that provides evidence for organisms transitioning from living in water to land.
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Evolution
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Evidence that organisms have changed over long periods of time.
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Paleontologist
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A scientist that studies the fossil record to better understand life on Earth.
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Fossil
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Reading Material
Download as PDF Download PDF View as Separate PageWHAT IS THE FOSSIL RECORD?Fossils are evidence of past life. Fossils that have been found and placed into chronological order, are part of “The Fossil Record.” Scientists examine the fossil record for patterns that indicate when ancient organisms lived, and how they are related. Fossils found in rock at the bottom of a sequence of layers are older than the fossils found near the top of the sequence.
To better understand the fossil record…
WHAT IS THE FOSSIL RECORD?. Fossils are evidence of past life. Fossils that have been found and placed into chronological order, are part of “The Fossil Record.” Scientists examine the fossil record for patterns that indicate when ancient organisms lived, and how they are related. Fossils found in rock at the bottom of a sequence of layers are older than the fossils found near the top of the sequence. To better understand the fossil record…LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!
Evidence of Past Life
Anything that is evidence of past life is a fossil, such as bones, footprints, and shells. Some fossils are trace fossils, that tell about an organism’s activity while it was alive. Examples of this are footprints, burrows, or even fossilized poop! Body fossils are the remains of animals and plants or parts of animals and plants. Examples of body fossils include bones, teeth, shells, and imprints of bark and leaves. When living things die, they decompose, however, under the right circumstances, the organism becomes trapped, rapidly buried, and compressed in sediment allowing remains or traces to be preserved.
Evidence of Past Life Anything that is evidence of past life is a fossil, such as bones, footprints, and shells. Some fossils are trace fossils, that tell about an organism’s activity while it was alive. Examples of this are footprints, burrows, or even fossilized poop! Body fossils are the remains of animals and plants or parts of animals and plants. Examples of body fossils include bones, teeth, shells, and imprints of bark and leaves. When living things die, they decompose, however, under the right circumstances, the organism becomes trapped, rapidly buried, and compressed in sediment allowing remains or traces to be preserved.The Fossil Record
All of the fossils collected over time and arranged in chronological order are known as the fossil record. The fossil record provides evidence that past life existed and how some living things changed over long periods of time (evolved), allowing them to survive changing environments. The fossil record spans millions and millions of years. Scientists look for patterns in the fossil record to make predictions about which organisms descended from others, how groups of organisms changed over time, and how the Earth’s atmosphere changed the types of plants and animals that were able to survive over long periods of time.
The Fossil Record All of the fossils collected over time and arranged in chronological order are known as the fossil record. The fossil record provides evidence that past life existed and how some living things changed over long periods of time (evolved), allowing them to survive changing environments. The fossil record spans millions and millions of years. Scientists look for patterns in the fossil record to make predictions about which organisms descended from others, how groups of organisms changed over time, and how the Earth’s atmosphere changed the types of plants and animals that were able to survive over long periods of time.Formation of Fossils
There are many different ways fossils form. Fossil molds are the most common. Molds form when buried remains of plants and animals decompose and/or dissolve leaving a space in the rock. These spaces may preserve the texture of remains (ridges on shells, for example). Sometimes, these molds may fill with minerals deposited by groundwater flowing through the rock or sediments that later harden. The mineral crystals and sediment take on the shape of the original remains and are called casts. Trace fossils can also be molds and casts. Most dinosaur bone fossils form in a different way; the bone matter is replaced by mineral crystals bit by bit. The resulting fossil retains all of the original structures of the bone; this is why they still look like bones even millions of years later. Insects can be preserved by becoming trapped in tree sap. The hardened tree sap is known as amber.
Formation of Fossils There are many different ways fossils form. Fossil molds are the most common. Molds form when buried remains of plants and animals decompose and/or dissolve leaving a space in the rock. These spaces may preserve the texture of remains (ridges on shells, for example). Sometimes, these molds may fill with minerals deposited by groundwater flowing through the rock or sediments that later harden. The mineral crystals and sediment take on the shape of the original remains and are called casts. Trace fossils can also be molds and casts. Most dinosaur bone fossils form in a different way; the bone matter is replaced by mineral crystals bit by bit. The resulting fossil retains all of the original structures of the bone; this is why they still look like bones even millions of years later. Insects can be preserved by becoming trapped in tree sap. The hardened tree sap is known as amber.Fossils Exposed by Natural Events
Fossils can be buried and compressed within layers of sedimentary rock. Paleontologists look for fossils in areas where ancient environments provided the right conditions for fossil formation such as the shores of lakes, rivers, and oceans. Sometime paleontologists dig for fossils but more often fossils are exposed by geologic processes such as weathering and erosion. Dinosaur National Monument is located in Utah where the hot and dry climate contributed to erosion of sediment by wind, exposing dinosaur fossils. Mountain-building and earthquakes can also reveal fossils that were previously buried deep below the Earth.
Fossils Exposed by Natural Events Fossils can be buried and compressed within layers of sedimentary rock. Paleontologists look for fossils in areas where ancient environments provided the right conditions for fossil formation such as the shores of lakes, rivers, and oceans. Sometime paleontologists dig for fossils but more often fossils are exposed by geologic processes such as weathering and erosion. Dinosaur National Monument is located in Utah where the hot and dry climate contributed to erosion of sediment by wind, exposing dinosaur fossils. Mountain-building and earthquakes can also reveal fossils that were previously buried deep below the Earth.Transitional Fossils
Transitional fossils are fossils that provide evidence organisms may have transitioned from water to land. An example of this is the Tiktaalik fossil. It has fins and gills like a fish, but it also has leg bones and lungs like a land mammal. These fossils are important because scientists examine the fossil record for patterns, or similarities and differences over time, to tell them more about how and when organisms may have lived. Because nobody alive today was alive when these organisms were, scientists can only make predictions based upon the evidence from the fossil record.
Transitional Fossils Transitional fossils are fossils that provide evidence organisms may have transitioned from water to land. An example of this is the Tiktaalik fossil. It has fins and gills like a fish, but it also has leg bones and lungs like a land mammal. These fossils are important because scientists examine the fossil record for patterns, or similarities and differences over time, to tell them more about how and when organisms may have lived. Because nobody alive today was alive when these organisms were, scientists can only make predictions based upon the evidence from the fossil record. -
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What trend in the complexity of life over time is seen through the fossil record?
What were the oldest living things from 3.5 billion years ago like?
How long ago do humans appear in the fossil record? Is this recent? Explain.
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